A Warrior's Faith
by SilentErmac372
Summary: Takeli dreamt of a life of learning to fight for the fun if it. Until the death of his family lures him into chaos, and into this tournament. Trained by Kung Lao, he joins Sonya, Jax, and Kitana in the fight for the freedom against a deadly alliance...
1. The Old Ways

Chapter I The Old Ways  
  
A breath of air, and a gust of wind. Yes, all it was still as it bestowed upon the Realm of Earth. How could anyone here ever think of darkness within one's self? Of course there had to be some logical answer to this. It was never there in the first place. As for the people of the many realms, they don't have a clue of what was going to happen soon. Soon, with a limited amount of time left. You could say that they all knew that it was impossible to ignore the facts. The emperor once said that there was going to be hell on Earth, and maybe he was right. Just maybe, nobody here could have thought of anything but this. When they day arrives, the setting sun will be intense with brightness.  
  
Generations and generations have passed, and nobody could have ever been proud. Everyone's heart was full of the same sorrow and laughter like everyone else. At night, clouds of thunder appeared without a breath of relief. The Shaloian Temple itself was crowded with visitors from around the world. Hiding beneath its hard stone walls and pots. Dust tornadoes of all sizes and rain smashed down on the Earth. As blood from the animals bursted and flooded the temple with the presence of the gods. One was very special indeed though. The monks were always prepared. Bringing candles and spiritual charms with them wherever they went, this assured their safety.  
  
Today however, no one was ready for what was about to happen. As Takeli laid on his bed, he churned at the sound of the high winds rushing by everyone. "Lao!" Takeli awaked with a faint gleam in his eyes. Outside the glassless window stood the great winds and rain of the world. He heard a knock on his door. Takeli grabbed some matches and lighted them. Lighting the soft candles around him, he approached the door with his waxy hands. The knocks have stopped abruptly. "Lao!" He heard another cry outside. What could this mean? Is something going on?  
  
Takeli began to open his door. BANG! A scrimpy old man with a white turban choked. "Will you ever get out of that room of yours on time?!" He held up another umbrella for Takeli. "Come on! You have to get started to your morning duties." Takeli sighed, it was raining hard and he still had to clean up after the others. The old man led him to a wooden room with bowls and cups of water spilled all over the ground. "Since you missed the morning meal, you'll have to wait until the setting meal. Help us by cleaning up this mess the wind made." Takeli nodded silently. The old man left to another room, gathering all of his things.  
  
Takeli started to pick up the left over food, when a young boy came in and cried. "What are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be worshiping to the gods right now?" he asked. Takeli sighed. This life was pretty hard, especially on those really wet days. Today wasn't your average wake up and do your stuff day, but more like a religious one. As thunder elapsed outside the windows, the rain from above showered down like glass. Takeli knew this was strange, as the gods did not really pay much attention to them until now, as so he believes.  
  
A dream, he felt it. Lately he's been having a reoccurring nightmare about how a black ninja was killing off everyone in the temple. Using his deadly blade, he stole everyone's soul and captured them into soul chambers. He couldn't help but think maybe this was a fluke. It could have been just the weather having a drastic affect on him. Takeli was begging to think he wasn't really as normal as he thought everyone else was. Always waking up late, doing all of the chores quickly but steadily and even making time to amuse the boys who were still practicing to become monks.  
  
Takeli chuckled a little. He knew that one-day he would be able to leave the temple to pursue his dream of becoming a famous martial artist. Not like in the movies that he saw featuring Johnny Cage killing off four guys with only his bare hands. That was just an act, wasn't it? He wanted to travel around the world, get some new experiences, and maybe meet somebody, which could be called a worthy opponent. Yea right! What was he to think? "I'm no good at martial arts. How can I be good at this if I don't even know the basic moves?" "Are you talking to me?" The little boy murmured. "No, go away!" The little boy frowned and walked away silently.  
  
Takeli continued to sweep up the remaining scraps of food. As he was doing so, he began to wander back to what his dad told him a long time ago. When he was just two years old. He said, 'that the flower would never blossom if it doesn't have the courage to do so. And when it did, it was the most beautiful of all, and you can always look into it to see what your future holds.' Did that mean anything? Takeli began to think about it more closely. He couldn't really concentrate on it. Lightning was still clashing outside of the window. He overheard a loud sonic boom just then. Beginning to quiver a little, he went back to what his father said. As he stared out of his window, he couldn't help but make a figure out of the cold winds. "A girl?" The figure was blurred. He can't really make it out, and then, it disappeared.  
  
That story seemed so familiar to him. Even when he was just 2 years old, he said that he would be able to remember the story by heart. 'Now, how did it go again?' he thought. Memories began to rush around his head. Alright, he got it! Through his head, he pictured a soft valley, with his brothers and sisters. They were all standing in line, and the oldest one would always swing us around in a circle until we got so dizzy, that we had to forget about eating lunch or dinner. His name, the name. He just had it. The oldest one was like 17 years old during that time. 'I think his name was like, hmm, can't make it out.'  
  
Takeli closed his eyes for a moment. "Lao, are you done yet?" Grandfather asked. "Almost!" Takeli swept out the dirt and rice. "Well hurry up, the rain's getting bigger and stronger so you have to stay in your room." Takeli nodded silently to himself as he watched Grandfather walk away. Takeli threw the broom into the cabinet and headed back for his room, hungry and tired. "Great, I have to wait for the evening meal. Then I can eat." He didn't have anything inside his room. As he opened the door, he noticed a towel that Grandfather had given him. A note said, 'For the window, to cover it so you won't get wet. Go to bed, you have nothing more to do.' Takeli picked up the towel and walked in. "Well, what can I do now?"  
  
Cramped up inside a small room with a bare window opened, Takeli leaped into his bed. "That would have been so cool! I wished Grandfather would teach me some styles of martial arts." Takeli had always asked if he could learn some from him, but it was always the same response over and over again. "You're too young. Wait a year or two, then I might teach you some basic moves." Takeli wondered if that might is ever going to happen. He started to bounce his rubber ball back towards him from the stone wall. He took out his photograph of him, his mom, and his dad. "We looked so happy when I was young." It must have been years since his father died, but that didn't stop him from remembering him.  
  
The wind outside began to get harsher. Takeli started to stare out of his window, looking at how the thunder striked down on the ground, creating sparks every time. Up in the sky he could see dark clouds looming towards the Shaloian Temple. He saw some of the elders climbing up the stairs and into their own rooms, where they would practice their prayers against a warm fire. Takeli didn't really understand why they really do this though. He always wanted to try it out and to see how it felt, but it never really pleased him to see him do that.  
  
Being very bored, he started to fall asleep into his own bed. It was only 1:00 and he's already falling asleep like it was night. Takeli began to close his eyes on the soft quilted bed. Maybe it was because of the boredom, that he suddenly couldn't really think about the world around him. Everything around him began to swim around in his mind. Like it was a strange glitch in his body. Stopping the blood flow through him, and making his eyes very dreary. He felt nothing though. All he could really do was watch the window as the rain continued to get worse.  
  
"What?" Takeli opened his eyes and found himself standing inside a strange arena. It was a bright morning in a sandy beach. People with swords and knives were chanting around him, as they bowed down to see a man walking towards him. He'd seen him before somewhere. He can't really point out from where though. "Ready?" Takeli shook his head. The black ninja shot forward a ghastly form of energy at him. Takeli gasped, as he felt his energy slowly draining away from him. He gasped for air. Bending down and grasping his throat, the ninja round housed him towards the side of the arena. "Time!" Takeli panted heavily in response. The ninja grabbed his throat and opened his eyes. His mask came off, and showed... "Huh?"  
  
Panting and breathing hard, Takeli woke up in a puff of breath. Sweat was pouring out of his head, and behind his neck. He stared out at his clock, 3:12. The towel that was holding back the rain came off, and the rain was continuing to pour in. "Wonder why it's still raining so hard." Takeli mumbled to himself as he looked into his small mirror. "Hmm, what's this?" He touched his neck, and found s bladed scratch on it. Takeli gasped. "How did I get this?" The scratch was bloody red, and blood was still pouring out from it.  
  
"That dream I had." Takeli thought back. In an arena, black ninja, death. He remembered that black ninja from somewhere before. He didn't know why, but he reminded him of his mom and dad somehow. He began to get a headache somehow from all of this thinking he had done. He missed his parents terribly. Takeli decided to get some food, since he was starving after all. He wasn't sure if his grandfather would let him do so though. He decided to take a chance, and opened the door.  
  
"Ahh!" A gust of wind blew into his room. His blanket flapped over and got sucked through the window. Takeli tried to close the door, but the wind's power was like a tornado. The rain began to get heavier, and Takeli could see a strong figure in the wind. "Who are you?" He asked. Takeli did not recognize the figure. Thunder and lightning began to clash down around the person. "Watch out!' Takeli dived through and pushed him out of the way. They rolled into a stone covering, which was free from the rain.  
  
"Are you ok?" Takeli asked. The old man opened his eyes and began to chuckle. Takeli stepped back from him. "I've never seen you around here. Who are you?" The old man pulled his hat over him. "The real question, is who are you?" Takeli was stunned. "Well, I'm Lao Takeli. What's that a concern to you?" The old man chuckled at him. "Poor boy, you still have a lot to learn don't you?" The man looked up to him with glimmering eyes. Takeli couldn't help but stare.  
  
"You know you do look quite familiar to me. Have we met?" The man shook his head. "I know a lot about you Takeli. You're a poor boy who wants to learn martial arts. Devastated at the death of your family, you want to take revenge for whoever killed them. You always ask your grandfather to teach you, but you were always told that you were much too young. That may actually be true." "How do you know so much about me? Are you a spy?" The old man began to smile. "A spy? No, why would I be one? I'm just a creator." "A creator? A creator of what?" "A creator, of wind."  
  
"What are you saying?" The man pointed his fingers toward a ram shackled building. A gust of wind appeared right next to it and lifted the house towards Takeli. Setting it down, the man looked at him again. "How did you do that!?" "Why ask so many questions? When all you need are answers?" "Is that so?" Takeli would have guessed he was some kind of magician, but no magician would have been able to carry an old house across a courtyard without hesitation. "So, basically, are you a human at all?" The old man kicked a small stone away from his foot. "What do you think?"  
  
"Well, I'm not sure right now. Aren't you cold wearing that kind of clothing?" "I'm never cold, or hot." "Can you at least tell me who you are?" The wind and rain stopped abruptly. "If you must know, I suggest you look in your heart." "Look into my heart?" "Words cannot express the way I am." Takeli stopped and thought about this. "Is this supposed to be a joke?" "Do you think it is?" "Fine." Takeli sat down on the ground and closed his eyes. 'Look into my heart? Look into my heart?' he thought. Strangely, something began to appear.  
  
He could feel the man's palms touching his back. A strange sensation began to come over him. He could see rain and wind coming together forming a powerful force. He could see the old man controlling all of the wind that was appearing over the city. Staring at him, he looked at him and showed his eyes. "Do you know now?" Takeli opened his eyes and stared out into the open sky. The sun was starting to come out, but he could still see drops of rain falling and a little quiver of wind. "Are you someone that I could never see or feel?"  
  
The old man smiled. "You are beginning to learn, but I'm afraid that I cannot verbally tell you who I am until you find out yourself." "How will you find out if I know?" "I can look into your soul, and see the goodness in it. That way, I could always tell that you really want to know." This stunned Takeli. "You can look into souls?" The man nodded, and he pulled his hat over his head. "Soon enough, you will find out who I am. Until know I can give you one advice, if you like to learn martial arts, I suggest that you prove yourself first." "How do I do that?"  
  
The man made a blossom appear in his hand. He threw it towards Takeli and he caught it. "What do I do with this?" "Each day, eat one of the 3 petals from this flower. If you manage to eat the entire flower without spitting out any of it, not one speck, then you are worthy of getting trained." "How can a measly little blossom prove anything?" "This is not just any flower, it is the Kenishian Blossom, very rare. No one has ever managed to eat the whole thing without coughing up the flower as well as blood. If you manage to do this, then you are seriously remarkable."  
  
"I don't really understand. I mean, if I do eat the flower, it will mean I'm better than the others that have tried?" "Basically yes, unless you think it's too hard for you. Remember, you must eat only one petal a day. If you eat more than that, the flower will be destroyed, and blood will start to come out of your mouth." Takeli nodded, saying that he understands. "Well, I must be off. It was very nice to actually talk to you in person. I will meet you later. Talk to your grandfather." The man jumped up into the roof in great speed. 'He jumps so high, I wonder.'  
  
After he left, the sun began to blaze brightly in the sky. All of the monks began to come out of their cottages and started to sweep out the mess. Takeli went back into his room and took a petal out of the blossom. The petal was very pink when it was on the flower, but now it's starting to turn kind of yellowish. He'd figure he better eat it now. He placed the petal on the tip of his tongue and closed his mouth. "Ugh!" Takeli opened his mouth. He looked at the mirror and saw the petal burning in his tongue with a foul taste. "God, I have to get rid of this!"  
  
Then he remembered what the man told him. "If you could eat the petals without spitting out any of it, then you are worthy of getting trained." Takeli closed his mouth, filling his nose with the disgusting odor. 'I have to do this.' he thought. He bit into the petal softly, filling his teeth with the smell of decay. He began to churn the petal through his mouth. A little bit was bursting out of his lips. He pushed it back in and felt the burning sensation once more. He began to swallow some of it. Finally swallowing the whole thing, he sighed in disgust.  
  
He walked out the door and ran to the water buckets. Carrying the other two petals with him, he dunked his face into the buckets. The other monks stared at him with disgust. Takeli couldn't help it. After eating that kind of food, who wouldn't? Hs grandfather came over and laughed at him. "Lao, what are you doing now?" Takeli ignored him while he was still drinking up the water, refreshing his mouth from the taste. His grandfather shook his head. "Takeli, if you really needed water, just go to the kitchen. It looks like you couldn't wait to get some." The other monks chuckled, but Takeli just kept on drinking.  
  
After Takeli drank almost half of the bucket, his grandfather stared at him. "Lao, why did you drink all of that water? Supper is almost ready." "It's nothing grandfather. There was just a bug in my mouth." "A bug? That was very amusing to see." His father began to turn away when he saw the flower Takeli was holding. "Lao, where did you get that flower?" All of the monks stopped doing their jobs and stared at Takeli. "I received it from a man. He told me if I ate it all, I would be worth of getting trained in the arts of martial arts."  
  
"It can't be. You?" Takeli shrugged as he saw everyone staring at him. "What's the big deal?" "The big deal is that you managed to eat the first petal. That's pretty amazing for a boy at your age. Although I still think you are too young to get trained by a master martial artist." "Grandfather, it's been years that you've kept saying that. I think I can handle it now." His grandfather felt a breeze near him. "Well, I suppose so. I'll think about it, now come on, supper is ready."  
  
The next day, his grandfather told him to meet him at the edge of the steps at night. Takeli followed the instructions, and saw him sitting in the hard stone steps. "You wanted to talk to me?" he asked. The night stars were already over their heads, and the moon was shining brightly. "I guess I may have been treating you like a little boy these past years." Takeli sat down with him. "It's not your fault I mean. You have been a really good father to me." "It seems that you really are fascinated at martial arts. You have managed to eat two of the petals from that flower." "Yeah, the second one was much worse than the first. It took me about half an hour to eat it." "No one has ever gone that far without choking out blood."  
  
Takeli wrapped a blanket around his grandfather. His grandfather smiled. "I suppose it is time to let someone teach you a thing or two on martial arts. Tomorrow, I want you to pack your things, and head westward. If you keep going, you should be able to meet a young man that can teach you remarkable things. I'll send him a note later when you are sleeping. From there, you will be trained to be like him. And when you are ready, you can come back here and please us all." Takeli was stunned by the idea. "But grandfather, I have to stay here and help you. I can't just leave my only family behind." "See, now you are declining the idea. You want me to teach you, but I am far too weak to teach anybody anything anymore."  
  
Takeli went back to his room and started to pack some things into his pack. His grandfather was over reacting. He didn't even eat his last petal yet, so how can he be so sure that he will be able to receive the training he needs? He packed his blanket and food he had given him. Along with that he decided to take his scarf that his grandfather knitted for him just for remembrance. Was he ready for this? Takeli jumped onto his bed and wondered if this was such a good idea. He would have to leave for another place with no family. Could he trust his new master into training him?  
  
The next day, Takeli bowed and said goodbye to his grandfather, as well as the people of the temple. His grandfather bowed lightly to him. "Takeli, when you travel west, you will find a man named Kung Lao. I have already sent a note to him saying that you will be trained. Did you finish the flower yet?" Takeli nodded silently. "Then you are ready grandson." The two hugged for unbearable moments, until he was sure he could go. He gave the remaining center of the blossom to his grandfather so he could remember him. "Good luck Lao. I hope we will meet again someday." Takeli smiled and turned towards the stone steps.  
  
Suddenly, a dark cloud loomed over their heads. Thunder clashed again, and the monks could feel a sickening energy coming out of it. Takeli looked up and saw thugs falling out of the clouds. "Oh no, it's them!" his grandfather cried. "Takeli, run now!" The thugs ran up the stairs and took out their weapons. Everyone started to run into their cottages, but the thugs were way too fast. "Takeli, you're the only one that matters now. Run!" "No, I have to help!" "Takeli, you have proved yourself worthy. You have to be trained!"  
  
All of a sudden, a black ninja appeared and laughed. Takeli gasped. It was the same one in his dreams. "Now Takeli!" Takeli closed his eyes and urged his legs to run. He ran past the thugs and onto the dirt road near the bank of the river. Takeli heard a moaning kind of scream behind him. He looked back, and saw the black ninja taking out his grandfather's soul. Takeli screamed. "No!" The ninja shot his heart and destroyed it. At the same time, he stuck a black needle through his chest, making blood come out of his body. He coughed out blood until he collapsed.  
  
His people were getting killed and all he could do was run away from them. His grandfather did urge him to go though, and that's just what he did. Takeli swam over the cold river when thunder started to hit the ground. Just before he got out of the river, thunder eclipsed the river, killing everything in it. The terror didn't stop there. Turning back, he saw the black demon chasing after him. Takeli turned towards the forest. "No, that's east!" He turned back and saw the deadly ninja approaching him. Takeli jumped into a pit hole and tried to stay low.  
  
The black ninja didn't see him jump in and just walked over it. This wasn't a good start to his journey. Takeli jumped out and the ninja noticed him. He started to run in all sorts of direction, not wanting to look back. "Why is he after me?" The black ninja caught up and grabbed Takeli's legs. "No!" The ninja grabbed his throat and started to choke him. "You are the one. You must die!" Takeli tried to grab his hand away from his throat, but it was no good. Suddenly, a windy cyclone caught the ninja, sending him and the thugs' back into the sky.  
  
Takeli looked back and saw the old man looking at him again. "I'm so sorry. I should have been there." "What happened to my people?" The man shook his head. "Nothing good happened. They are all dead. The only thing you can do now is to keep going forward, never looking back." Tears came out of Takeli's eyes, as he banged his fist into the cold ground. "What's the point of going if I don't have a purpose now?" The man leered at him. "That is not true and it will never be true. I will guide you to Kung Lao for your training to begin." The man healed Takeli of his wounds, and gave him a new pole. "Take this, it will help you out."  
  
"I guess so, but how can this be happening to me? Who was that black demon?" The old man shook his head. "I'm not sure, but I think he was one of Shinnok's minions." 'Shinnok? Who is he?" The old man once again shook his head. "I'm afraid I cannot tell you right now, but you will find out soon. Your training will take you to your destination. Fighting alongside many of Earth's warriors, how honorable you will be." "Fighting alongside? What's going to happen to me?" "Go on now, I've told you enough. You will learn as your training continues. Just remember to follow your heart." The old man snapped his fingers, causing a dist storm to appear. After it cleared away, he was gone.  
  
"What?" Takeli looked into the sky. He heard a soft voice. "You have a journey ahead of you." 


	2. A Different Kind Of Training

Chapter 2 A Different Kind Of Training  
  
'Westward, travel westward' Takeli thought. That was what his grandfather said when he sent him off to get trained by the mysterious Kung Lao. Who was Kung Lao anyway? He'd never heard of him or had any contact with him. He must be a very good trainer in the many types of martial arts if he'd never heard of him. Must be very secretive. 'I should have asked about him when I had the chance' Takeli thought. There was no turning back now though. His grandfather was dead, his people were dead, and the Shaloian Temple is just a death place.  
  
Takeli started to heading towards a small lake. This day had not started well for him, and he's not sure if it is going to get any better at all. The old man told him that he should always head towards the west, no other direction. He didn't know what the big deal was. There was only a vast desert in front of his eyes ever since the river disappeared. Going towards the lake, Takeli refilled his bottle of water. He couldn't stop thinking about what happened during the morning somehow. It just got to his head somehow, like a dart through a blade.  
  
What the old man said though was weird in his eyes. Shinnok? What was this guy? Was he an emperor or something that was planning to take over Earth and all that dwell upon it? This began to creep him out a little. He might have heard stories about him when he was a kid. He remembered some man named Liu Kang, who was from the same temple. He never got to meet him though. He was usually too busy going away to some place for a tournament. His father knew his though. Takeli could remember though that he had played with him when he was just a little boy.  
  
Takeli filled up his water bottle, and started to walk towards the hot sun. In the far north, he could see a small town. He decided to take his chances and started towards the illuminated town. From the sides of his ears, he overheard deep voices and whispers. Standing on the hard dirt road, he could see a pigeon flying over his head. Wait! It wasn't a pigeon at all. It looked more like a hawk with a small note attached to its small foot. The owl dived down and dropped the strange note into Takeli's hands, and flew away.  
  
Takeli unfolded the letter, and saw small prints around it.  
  
Dear Lao Takeli  
  
Yes, were you expecting something like this to happen to you in the near future? I didn't think so, because as you see. Life cannot be made on its own. I've heard the terrible news about the death of your families and friends at the Shaloian Temple. I am terribly sorry about the death, and wish to train you in any way possible so you would feel comfortable to express any feelings you might have. I guess now I may be your only family, and I promise that by the time I am done training you, you will have become stronger than me. For now, continue on your path, I'll meet you soon.  
  
Lao Kung  
  
Takeli looked up and tried to find the strange hawk. It was gone. Strangely, Takeli did not really understand the letter. How did this Kung Lao find him in the middle of no where? Is he actually around him, but won't tell? The letter did make some sense though. He knew that he would meet him soon, so he better just keep moving forward. Takeli was starving though. All the food that he had packed was lost when that ninja chased him in a rage. He had a few coins though. So he decided to head into town to get some food.  
  
Just then, a little boy came running towards him. "Hey, watch it!" Takeli cried as the little boys slipped under his legs. "What are you doing?" The little boy gazed up at him and smiled. "Nay howe ma?" Takeli didn't really understand Chinese that much, but he knew exactly what he said. "Howe," he said in response. The little boy giggled and ran off towards the forsaken city. "Now he seems to know his way around here." It was getting quite dark, so Takeli decided to follow him to the city. "Hey little boy, wait for me!" The little boy looked back and giggled. "Toung ou woun a!" The boy clapped his hands loudly and ran through the bare sand.  
  
"Play with you, fine." Takeli chased after the little boy as he headed for a small fountain inside the city. Takeli dashed through the sandy ground, when a black arm popped out and grabbed his leg. Takeli lurched forward and fell to the ground, scratching his leg in the process. He looked back and saw the black ninja once more. "Who are you!?" Takeli cried as he rolled over to the side, dodging his fist. "You're the one. You must die!" The ninja shot forward a black cloud. The cloud encircled Takeli as it drained away his energy. "Help!" The little boy looked back and saw a black cyclone circling around his body. "Time to die." Just then, a bright light emitted out of Takeli's body shined out the strange cyclone. "What?" A great black dragon erupted and closed in on all that was near...  
  
Takeli opened his eyes. He saw a room around him, filled with stuffed animals. Looking around himself, he saw bandages wrapped around his left leg. He stared out at the clock. It was seven AM. 'I guess someone found me.' The door creaked a little. Takeli stood up from the bed. "Ahh!" He fell back down at the pain of his back. A young lady walked in and placed a small piece of cloth on his head. He stared at her for a while. "You need your rest. Just relax in bed." "Hmm, huh?" Takeli laid his head back onto the bed.  
  
Gazing upwards, he began to open his mouth to thank her. Before he could, she stuffed a piece of apple into his mouth. Takeli crunched on it until it was gone. Takeli began to open his mouth. "Oh, don't thank me. It's my job, and you're really tired," she said calmly. It was like she had read his mind before he could make a sound. "Don't bother talking right now. I've placed some herbs into your mouth to take out some of the pain." Takeli nodded silently, and began to close his eyes. 'Is this a dream? How did I get so bruised?' Takeli wondered silently to himself. Tired as usual, he took another slow nap.  
  
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When Takeli woke up, he could see that some of the pain has gone away. Most of his bandages have been taken off, leaving only a bare mark on his skin. Looking out the window, he saw the moon casting a shadow through the ground. Next to him, he saw a bowl of rice and some roasted pig. Feeling very hungry from his slumber, he grabbed the bowl of rice and began to eat. Piling up the rice, his door opened up revealing the little boy. "There you are. So, I finally found you," Takeli said smiling at him.  
  
"Ou joung yue lay," the little boy said. "So you like me huh? You sure know a lot of Chinese even for a little kid." Wait, how can he even think that? He was playing around that desert a little while ago all alone. He decided to play with him a little while he was still in bed. Takeli grabbed a piece of paper and crafted a small crane out of it. The little boy reached for it and laughed. "Dou Jeue." "You're welcome." As the little boy played peacefully, Takeli continued with the rice and pig. He gave some to the little boy, unsure if he was already fed.  
  
Just then, the young lady came into the room. "You're awake." The little boy ran over to her and showed her the small crane Takeli had made. "That's very nice of you," she said. "I would like to thank you for all of your help." She shook her head. "It's no big deal. You were hurt, but I do accept your kindness. My name is Mok Sui Loung. This is my son Little Firefly." The boy giggled under her. "I'm Lao Takeli. It is very nice to meet you, and your son." "Well thank you. It is almost ten o' clock. Would you like to take a warm bath?" "Yes, that would be nice."  
  
Takeli got off the bed and bits and bits of rice fell down from his body. "Well, we have a little mess here. Why don't you go to the bathhouse outside, and I'll clean up this little mess." Takeli rubbed his head in embarrassment. "Sorry Mrs. Mok." "No big deal, you just hurry now. There are some towels inside the bathhouse." Sui Loung began to wipe the small pieces of pork and rice off the blanket. "Boy, would you think someone would eat a little more better?" she asked. Little Firefly grabbed some pieces of pork and stuffed them into his mouth. "Stop that!"  
  
Takeli walked down the steps and into the bathhouse. Inside was a very hot and steamy sauna like ground. He filled up the hole with hot water and grabbed a towel. Locking the doors just to make sure someone didn't come in and disturb him. Takeli stripped off his clothes and entered the hot water. "Ouch!" The water was too hot. Filling it with some cold water, Takeli finally got in and started to rub his head with water. The steamy liquid was bubbling beneath him strangely. 'I hope I can get back to my journey soon.' His scars started to feel less painful, and his body heat began to rise.  
  
"Way!" "Huh?" Takeli looked back and saw Little Firefly taking his towel and clothing. "Hey! Lay deem yup lay ah?" Takeli crackled in the water. 'Great, how DID he get in here? I locked all the doors.' Little Firefly ran out the door carrying his clothes with him. "Wait!" Not thinking clearly, Takeli rushed out the door naked. "Come back here!" Little Firefly went through a small peephole and into the house. "Yikes! I'm still naked!" Takeli ran back to the bath house as fast as he could before anyone saw him. Then, he overheard a small voice near him. "What Little Firefly?" Takeli gasped. Little Firefly ran towards Takeli and rammed into him. "What the? Oh dear!" Sui Loung giggled a little.  
  
Takeli quickly rushed into the bathroom. Locking all the doors along his way. "Man was that ever embarrassing!" Takeli heard small footsteps coming towards him. "Takeli, are you in there?" Sui Loung asked. "Yea!" "I'm terribly sorry for what my son did. He's not usually like this!" Takeli sighed. "No big deal. He's just a kid!" Sui Loung pushed his clothes through a small trap door. "Here are you clothes. You better hurry up on your bath." "Sure." Takeli washed off the dirt and debris he caught when chasing Little Firefly.  
  
The next morning, Takeli woke up and saw Little Firefly staring at him again. "What is it this time?" Takeli asked. "Mou Yea," he replied. Sui Loung then walked into the room, holding a hot cake in her hands. "Well, it is time for you to leave. All of your scars have been healed, so you're ready to go." "Thank you for all of your kindness and hospitality. I don't think anyone has ever been that nice to me before." "You should get out more often then." "I can't really. I'm usually always in the Shaloian Temples that's why."  
  
Just as Takeli was about to leave, Sui Loung stopped him. "Well, I know a way that you can repay me," she said. Takeli looked very stunned. "Well, what do you have in mind?" "Well, last night when you were eating dinner. You were eating it very poorly I might say! So you have to learn some manners or you're not going to get what you want in the future." Little Firefly started to jump up and down screaming. "What!? Manners!" Takeli's chin dropped. "No way! I'm not good at keeping good manners!" "Well you're gonna learn now!" "Ugh!"  
  
As Takeli walked outside, another hawk flew over and dropped ANOTHER note into his hands.  
  
Dear Lao Takeli,  
  
Hope that everything is fine with you. I wonder why you are taking so long to answer my messages. Have you even received my recent one yet? If you keep going west from the city, you can reach me in just a couple of miles. I'll be waiting around the Glass Lake. When you reach it, just stand there until I arrive. Farewells  
  
Lao Kang  
  
"I hope I can meet him in person soon." Takeli followed Sui Loung as she entered a Japanese style teahouse. Takeli walked in and sat down on the soft mats. She closed the doors as Little Firefly walked in. "Takeli, I hope I am not interfering too much with your journey. But to be a good Shaloian fighter, you have to learn to have manners." Takeli sighed a little. "How can having manners prove I'm a good fighter?" "A lot. It shows elegance and the motivation to do well in battles. From what I've seen a lot of work has to be done." "Alright, I'll give it a go."  
  
Sui Loung walked behind him and kicked his back softly. "Ouch, why did you do that?" "You're posture is very bad, Stand up for me." Takeli stood up, trying to keep a straight back. "Well, so far so good on your back. Juts a little bit of this..." Takeli felt a small jolt on his spine as she straightened it out. "There, that should do it." "I can't really move now though." "Yes you can, just give it a try!" She patted Takeli on has back and he collapsed.  
  
Later that day, Takeli was served some weird porridge that looked like mashed up gravy and peas. "Now, I want you to eat like how you always do," Sui Loung said gently. "Alright," Takeli said. He took the spoon, took some of the porridge, and studded it into his mouth abruptly. Then he placed the spoon back in hard, splashing bits and bits of meat over the table. "Well, I think I know what needs to be worked on here. When you were sitting down, your back was very bad. Even when using the spoon, it wasn't really heading for your mouth, but your shirt." "So what needs to be fixed?"  
  
"Well, first, I think that you should sit straight." Takeli did as he was told. This time though, he could no longer reach the porridge. Who wanted to eat it anyway? "Next, your elbows were on the table. Little Firefly." Little Firefly came over to Takeli and pried his elbows off the table using his teeth! "Ouch, why did he do that?" "If I told you to do it, you would do it again after this exclusive training." Takeli sneered at Little Firefly, who was hopping up and down now. "Don't do that Takeli. It might frighten him." "Alright."  
  
"Well," declared Sui Loung," now that this portion of the training is done, one of us has to clean up the tea and crackers. Takeli, you have been chosen to do this." Takeli groaned even more now. he just had tea and now he has to wash the plates and teacups that they drank and ate from? "Why am I doing all this work?" Takeli asked. "Well, you are the guest. This is just another part of your gruesome training. Soon you will be able to do all of this in a snap. Once you've learned the basic things at least. Later, meet Little Firefly and I at the restaurant down the street. We'll go from there." Takeli nodded and started to pick up the dirty plates.  
  
After a couple of minutes of washing the dishes, Takeli walked out of the teahouse and down the street to the nearby restaurant. While he was walking, he bought some elixirs for his journey. Costing him half of his money, he decided not to buy any more things unless he really needed them. He finally reached the restaurant just as the sun was beginning to set. As he walked in, he saw Little Firefly waving his hand towards him. Takeli walked through the other dwellers as they stared at him. He sat down next to Sui Loung just as a man was passing out some roasted duck.  
  
"What does coming here have anything to do with manners?" "Nothing really, I just wanted you to have a good dinner before you depart. I think you've learned enough for today anyway." Takeli was surprised at the food that the people served here. "How did you get this roasted duck? Isn't that expensive?" Sui Loung's eyes gleamed. "I guess you can say that. I just wanted to give you a good meal." What really surprised Takeli was that the waiter brought out some strange prawns that looked like they were still alive.  
  
"Takeli, why have you gone on this journey anyway?" "I am from the Shaloian Temple, and my Grandfather died this morning." Sui Loung looked surprised when she heard that. Takeli continued. "I stopped by this city because I needed some rest. I was suppose to find a man named Kung Lao, who could really train me in the arts of tai- kwon doe. As well as other styles of martial arts." Takeli grabbed another piece of roasted duck and 'politely' ate it to satisfy his standards. "When I learn all that I can, I hope to find the one who killed my grandfather, and kill him."  
  
After dinner, Takeli thanked Sui Loung for helping him out during his time of needs. "I'm very grateful about you helping me out. I'm sorry if I seemed like a burden during these past days." "No problem at all. Just remember to visit me when your training is over." Sui Loung gave Takeli some small charms for good luck. Little Firefly, however, decided to give him a piece of lint he found lying on the ground. "Take care of yourself now."  
  
Just as Takeli was about to leave, someone jumped in front of him and started to choke him. Trying to resist, Takeli kicked the man's leg. "Look boy, if you don't want to get hurt, I advise you to get out of my way!" He jabbed his fist into Takeli's stomach, causing saliva to come out of his mouth. He threw Takeli toward a brick wall, causing him to release some blood from his back. "Now, I'm here for you!" He grabbed Little Firefly around the neck, and started to drag him away. "What are you doing?" Sui Loung asked. The man slapped her face, causing her to spin through the air.  
  
"Goew Mang a!" Little Firefly pleaded. Takeli opened his eyes and rubbed his head. He could feel a soreness through it. He heard Little Firefly's please for help. "Don't worry, I'll save you!" Takeli got up and dashed towards the man carrying Little Firefly. "Heym that's my friend you got there!" he yelled. The thug looked back, and saw Takeli's fist headed for his face. "What!" Takeli punched his face in anger. Little Firefly fell off of the man's shoulders, and started to run away.  
  
"What the hell are you up to boy?" The man took out a sharp knife with blood still dripping from it. He started to jab it towards Takeli in an angry rage. Takeli didn't know have any fighting skills. 'Man, what am I'm going to do?' he thought. The thug began to go through a pattern as he tried to stab him. "You made the kid get away! Now my boss's going to kill me!" the man cried. Takeli back flipped and the blade barely missed him by an inch. "Get back here!"  
  
When Takeli landed, he saw the sharp blade fly through his side, hitting a narrow tree. Ironically, the thug instead performed a jump kick on Takeli's chest, making him fall back slightly. "What do you want? Little Firefly or me?" Takeli asked. "Neither, now come on." All Takeli could do was perform numerous blocks while trying to dodge the man's fist. "Aren't you going to fight back!" Takeli couldn't tell him he didn't know how. That would leave him the weak one. "Take this then!" The man jumped up and kicked Takeli's head back. "Ahh!"  
  
Three points of light suddenly appeared. The man jumped back, holding his turban near him. "What is that light!?" he cried. Takeli's body began to glow bright and steady. He panted for breath again, trying to stay focused. "What's happening to me?" Blinding rays of light were released through his body and into the sky. Meteors started to fall down on the Earth, but it wasn't that big. Takeli screamed as he felt a paining thrust happening around his stomach. "Somebody..." The lights began to shake the ground like an earthquake. A fault appeared just before Takeli fainted...  
  
Later, Takeli woke up inside the room where Sui Loung was before. "Are you feeling better now?" she asked. Takeli nodded, and got up from the bed. "I better get going," he said. Sui Loung agreed. "I'll miss you though. You were hurt today. Don't let it happen again." Little Firefly giggled again, and all Takeli could do was smile. "Joy geen." 


	3. Mind Tricks

Chapter 3 Mind Tricks  
  
It wasn't before long that Takeli had thought up a way to get in and out of trouble. After he had left Sui Loung and Little Firefly, Takeli decided to get some supplies from the extra change that Little Firefly gave him while he was leaving. His first thought was to get a butcher knife, so he would be prepared when he found danger like what happened yesterday. He still couldn't understand what really happened during that time. All he could remember was he fainting and panting in the soft sand. Strangely, he never saw the man again.  
  
That hardly bothered him though. He was glad he was gone. He didn't even understand why he was trying to kill him in the first place. It may have been about Little Firefly, but after he left, he was no longer a concern. It seemed like the man only wanted to get Takeli. Whoever he was, he's gone now so there would be no need to fear. Takeli was just afraid that maybe he might come back for revenge by killing Little Firefly. He can't let that happen.  
  
Takeli walked into a nearby herb shop to buy some fungi for healing. As he walked in, he noticed an old lady placing some smelly herbs into a glass jar. Sealing it off, Takeli walked over and poked her shoulder. The surprise poke shocked the old woman somehow, but she regained her conscience. "Yes, may I help you?" "Yes, do you have any fungi's that can heal?" The old woman nodded, and walked into the back room. "I'll be right back honey."  
  
He waited patiently as the old woman searched through her stocks to find a healing fungus. "Well well, what do we have here? It looks like we have only a couple pounds left. How much would you like my dear?" She asked. "Just a pound will do." She stuffed a pound of the fungi into a plastic bag and sealed it off with her knife. "Well honey, this will cost you some change." Takeli agreed and gave her the money. "So what is a fine gentleman like you doing in a place like this? We rarely have any strangers here."  
  
"How did you know I wasn't from around here?" Takeli asked. The old woman smirked. "Boy I know a lot of things. I can tell if someone isn't from this here town." Takeli stuffed the fungi into his bag, and looked around to see if there was anything else he could get. "Are you looking for anything peculiar?" She asked. Takeli shook his head. "I' better leave know. I don't want to keep my trainer waiting." "Are you going on some kind of journey?" Takeli smiled. "I guess you can say that."  
  
The old woman sighed. "What is it?" Takeli asked. The old woman waved her hand and laughed. "Oh honey, don't worry about me. If you're going on a journey, I recommend you see Lady Zephyr. She might give you some helpful tips along your journey." Takeli thought for a moment. 'I do have time. And maybe seeing this person will be a good idea.' "Where can I find this Lady Zephyr?" Takeli asked. The old woman pointed to her left. "Across the street from me. You'll find her there. Don't worry about the smell. It's always been there."  
  
"I'll go see her right now, I guess. Is she busy?" The old woman shook her head. "Don't worry, I actually think she's expecting you." "You think so?" "Child, don't worry. She'll be there, regardless if she's busy or not. Now go on, and take care." Takeli bowed and thanked the old woman. Takeli left the shop, banging the door behind him. "Whoa!" Takeli heard a crackle in the air. He looked back at the store, and saw the sign turned to 'close.' 'Weird,' Takeli thought. Takeli walked across the street and knocked on the silent door...  
  
CREEK... The door opened by itself, letting out the stuffiness of the dark room. Takeli poked his head through, and smelled the thick perfumified air. He coughed a couple of times, before pushing the door towards the wall. Inside, he could see nothing. None of the lights were turned on, except for some greenish glow sticks around the walls. "Hello?" He asked. He heard a giggling sound through the place, bouncing off the walls. "Hello?" Takeli heard footsteps coming towards a wooden door near the end of the parlor.  
  
As it opened up, Takeli felt a sudden chill in the air. He saw a candle next to him burn out like it was really windy inside the room. Takeli held his breath of what was to happen. He heard the sounds of metal chains clashing next to each other. Breathing sounds began to get heavier as the door opened up. "Takeli." A voice, it was very strange. It sounded like the person had smog caught in her throat. "Uh, who is that?" Takeli asked. Panting could be heard over the sound of the chains through the door.  
  
"Takeli, hello." Takeli opened his eyes and saw a beautiful young woman standing next to the door. She wore a silky green dress, barely hiding her cleavage. She saw a silk thread covering her mouth as she breathed in and out. She wore high heels with little metal charms hanging from it. Her blue skirt underneath showed hardly any protection from her breasts, and he could smell the perfume smell from her hair. "I am Lady Zephyr. I have heard many things about you," she said. She unlocked another wooden next to Takeli, revealing a room with a flat table covered with silk. "Come in, sit."  
  
Takeli quietly walked into the dim room. Lady Zephyr lighted up a small candle on the middle of the glass table. She closed the door and locked it, dropping the key into her small pocket. Takeli sat down on the small cushioned chair, as Lady Zephyr went into her back door and brought back a cup of tea. She handed Takeli the cup of tea and sat down onto her own chair. "Excuse me, but what is the tea for?" Lady Zephyr raised one of her eyebrows, and ignored him while she took out a stack of voodoo like cards.  
  
"Oh come on, the tea, is for your own health." Takeli nodded, and took a sip of the tea. "Well, I think I know why you came here." "You do?" Lady Zephyr nodded with a grim smile. "You came here to see if there are any tips I can give you while you are on your journey to find a man named Kung Lao." "How do you know all this?" Takeli asked taking another sip. Lady Zephyr took out her stack of cards and laid them out on the table. "I know a lot of things Takeli. Not just about you, but a little bit of everyone in this world."  
  
He began to open his mouth, but Lady Zephyr silenced him. "There is no need for questions here. All you need are answers." "I don't really understand what you mean by that." "Nobody ever does on his or her first time. You'll get the hang of it soon enough." Takeli murmured to himself a little while Lady Zephyr poured some food into her aquatic fish tank. 'Man, I wonder what she is going to say' he thought. Lady Zephyr stopped suddenly and started to chuckle. "What I'm going to say? I'm not sure yet Takeli." "Wait, you can read minds?" "Yes, but not 24/7. That takes a lot of energy from me."  
  
Lady Zephyr took her seat again, and started to unfold the cards one by one. "Well, let's see what we have here. You're full name is Takeli Osaka Lao. You're family was killed when you were about two years old, so your memory about them is very blurry. Recently refugees from an unknown place attacked your temple and home. Your grandfather was killed in the process, and now you swore revenge on whoever killed them. However, you have been recently attacked by the same dark ninja that killed your grandfather."  
  
"You must feel awful about this, don't you Takeli?" He nodded silently to himself. "I've been there before. My sister was killed during a car accident. I've never been able to shake her off of my mind, but I got use to it. And now, you see, I feel much better." "Did you free your mind somehow?" "Of course, that's the whole point about actually being a psychic. You have to free your mind and to think about what is mentally there. Here, let me start. I better stop rambling."  
  
Lady Zephyr revealed one of the cards. The figure was the same black ninja from his dreams. "What? What does this mean? That's the same person that killed my grandfather, as well as trying to kill me!" Lady Zephyr shook her head in dispute. "Let me start by saying that, not everything I say here is believable. It all depends on you." "I understand. So what does this mean?" Lady Zephyr took out some colorful dust and started to sprinkle it around the clear table. "Right now I'm drawing away the spirits by sprinkling magic sand. This will block them."  
  
Lady Zephyr revealed yet another card next to the other one. This time it showed a ghastly glow. Takeli felt another breeze come over the room, causing the bells to ring. "Do any of these cards make any sense to you?" She asked. Takeli shook his head. "I've encountered this ninja before. His name is I think, Noob Saibot. He is from the depths of the Netherealm and will try and kill you with his ghastly force."  
  
Takeli's eyes widened. "Is this true? Why is he after me?" Lady Zephyr flipped over another card, showing a deadly skull with blood dripping from it. "This isn't good, is it?" Takeli asked. Lady Zephyr shrugged. "Only you can really understand these cards. Now tell me, you've seen Noob Saibot in your dreams before haven't you?" "Yes, that's right." "He's been trying to kill you. Correct?" Takeli nodded, grasping his bag as it began to fall onto the floor. "Let me think for a moment," Lady Zephyr said as she closed her eyes.  
  
"Takeli, do you have any magical abilities you can perform?" "No, not that I know of." "Have you ever done something that you never meant to but it just happened, and when you woke up, you couldn't remember what happened in the last hour or so?" "I think so. Why?" Lady Zephyr reached towards her silky robe and pulled out a strange gem. "Now, Takeli, this is a very special gem. It will show me how much light and darkness you have in you. Just hold it in your hands for a while." She gave Takeli the gem, and he grasped it into his hands.  
  
Takeli felt a sudden jolt going through his body, and he dropped the gem onto the table. Almost the entire thing was glowing bright red, but a little bit was black. "Well, Takeli, I'm impressed with the results." Lady Zephyr took the gem back and flipped over the last card. It showed a thunder strike over it. "Strange, I didn't expect this card to appear." Lady Zephyr quickly snatched the cards away from the table and stared at Takeli. "Now, here comes the real challenge of the day." "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"Takeli, I think you need a bit of training." "What kind of training? I am going to be trained in martial arts." "Takeli, I've looked into your mind. You are not ready to be trained by Kung Lao. I have a very different and difficult test for you myself. Are you up for the challenge?" She asked. "If it will help me train better with Kung Lao, then I agree to this training. When will it start?" Lady Zephyr's eyes gleamed in admiration. "It's going to start right now." She grabbed Takeli's palms, and he felt a jolt.  
  
"What the?" Takeli felt a jolt of blood going through his body. His body tensed up, like all the blood was going straight for his heart. His pulse began to go faster, and sweat started to pour out of his head, as well as the back of his neck. He felt like he wad going through a time warp. His skin began to peel back. Takeli's sight bubbled inside as he saw a blurry vision ahead of him. 'What's happening to me?' he wondered. Takeli felt a thriving pain in his head. He opened his mouth to scream, but not a whimper of sound came out. 'Takeli...!"  
  
'What? What was that? I couldn't really here anything right now.' Takeli opened his closed eyes and saw Lady Zephyr staring at him. They were both no longer in the parlor. They were both standing in the middle of a luscious garden. The sunny sky was above them, and blossoms of petals were everywhere. "Where are we?" Takeli felt his voice echoing through the place, like he was in a video game or something.  
  
"We are in a simulation created from our minds. Here, you will first learn to control your psychic abilities, if any." "Why do I need to learn these things? Is this going to help me?" Lady Zephyr nodded. "I saw how you fought back then while helping the little one. You may have won, but you have shown no control of your powers whatsoever. You could have been seriously injured, or even killed when you do that." "What do you mean? I don't have any powers!" "Then how do you explain those blinding rays of light or those meteors falling from the sky?"  
  
Takeli was stunned by the facts. "This really happened?" He asked. "Didn't you feel it? It's probably because you are too young to hold up your energy." Lady Zephyr snapped her fingers. A sudden wave of energy surged through the area. The flowers began to bloom and shower their pollen into the air. "How did that happen?" Takeli asked. "It just happens Takeli. Just think hard." The pollen began to spin around him, forming a barrier. "What is going on?" "I'm going to see if you can escape through that flowery cyclone."  
  
"Flowers?" Takeli reached towards the flower. ZAP! A surge of electricity came out of the flowers. Takeli rubbed his fingers as little drips of blood came out of it. "Don't worry Takeli. Just imagine as if the flowers aren't really there. It's your fear that is causing the electric sparks to appear. Relax. Free up your mind." "All right, whatever you say." Takeli closed his eyes and began to breathe in and out calmly. "Don't worry. You'll get it right eventually."  
  
"Eventually? I don't have time!" Takeli leaped through the cyclone and felt a shock tingling through him. Lady Zephyr stared at him. "You're not ready for this," she said. Takeli shook his head. "Yes I am!" A light beam appeared again, shooting out from behind his spine. "What's this weird feeling I keep having?" The barrier around him began to break up. Little by little, the wind blew away the blossoms. He leapt through the barrier and smashed face first down on the ground.  
  
"Oh!" He heard Lady Zephyr's voice echo through the area. "What now?" Takeli stammered. He saw Lady Zephyr vanishing from her spot. "Wait! Where are you going?" The sky above him began to turn dark, and lightning started crashing down. Then thunder started to form in a hellish form. The stone ground around him began to shatter, causing a huge fault to appear. He started to run from the emerging fault. "Don't be afraid." He overheard another soft voice through the sound of the thunder.  
  
"What's that?" He cried. He saw a blue motorcycle in the middle of the stone desert. The fault was dangerously getting closer to him. "There better be keys in there." Takeli hopped on and the motorcycle began to start on its own. It glided through the hard ground, shattering the stones ahead of him. The motorcycle didn't have any controls on it, just the handles. 'How am I suppose to control this thing?' he wondered. He pressed his foot down and it began to move faster. The air in front of him was covered with floating cups and dishes. "Hang on!" "Who said that?"  
  
The motorcycle began to levitate into the air. 'I wonder what's going on now.' The high intensity force of the wind caused a sudden chill in the air. The ground below Takeli crumbled and exploded, filling the area with hot lava. The boiling flares of the lava began to bubble near his feet. "Ah! I need sun glasses!" Like it was a wish, a pair of sunglasses appeared over his head. A water bottle floated near him, squirting water into his mouth. 'Cool.' The motorcycle began to shift forward, causing Takeli to lean over the lava.  
  
Suddenly, waves of lava splashed over the motorcycle, burning Takeli's legs. 'I need some water!' The magma below began to cool down and melt into a clear pool of water. Takeli pulled his lever and the MC shifted down into the water. The sky turned blue again, and a water jet appeared behind him. He began to glide through the crystal water like a Jet Ski. As the currents moved faster, Takeli could feel a strange presence around him. His head began to feel uncomfortable, and a figure began to appear in front of him...  
  
"Noob Saibot!" Takeli's heart raced as he saw his image beginning to appear. "I finally got you!" It cried. Takeli saw Noob Saibot jumping down from the sky and splashing into the water. "How did he get here?" The water around him turned into smoke as it flowed up. The MC changed form again and blasted up into the sky again. "Lao!" Takeli looked down and saw his Grandfather reaching his hand out of the water. "Help me!" "Grandfather! You're alive?" It couldn't be, can it? Takeli shifted down again, back into the smoke.  
  
"Mind your own business!" Noob Saibot jumped out of the smoke and grabbed Takeli's neck. He gasped as he tried to pry open his hands. "What... do you... want?" Takeli managed to squeak. Noob Saibot's eyes glowed an eerie red now. "I can tap into your wonderful pure dreams. Stealing the love from it, you pathetic mortal." Noob Sabot began to squeeze his neck even harder. "Where... is my... grandfather?" He cried. Noob Saibot laughed.  
  
"You really expected him to be alive again didn't you? He's dead and will always be dead!" Takeli tried to kick his leg, but it was no use. The grip he had on him was too much. "Help..." The smoke cleared out, revealing a tournament area. "I would like to kill you fairly. It's very relaxing to me." The motorcycle vanished suddenly. Noob Saibot threw him to the ground. Takeli reached for his neck and began to rub the soreness. "Fight me!"  
  
A fury of fire blew from the tournament sides. "If you try to escape, you will die." Takeli got back up and looked around. He was right. There was no escape. "Face your fear Takeli. You can do it." "Lady Zephyr..." "Enough of this!" Noob Saibot fired a flash towards Takeli. Takeli rolled back and dodged it. The flash slammed onto the wall, causing a change of climate. "Getting cold?" Noob asked.  
  
"NO!" Takeli stammered. Noob Saibot jumped into the air and dive kicked Takeli onto the side. He slammed into a brass bowl and broke it. Noob Saibot ran towards him. Takeli got back up and prepared to block. Noob Saibot jumped up and did a double kick move. Takeli grabbed his left leg and tried to punch his chest, but he was too quick and kicked his head instead. Takeli flipped through the air and crashed down, making a dent on the arena floor.  
  
"Is this a mistake? I've easily taken you down." Noob Saibot sweep kicked Takeli off of the ground and into the open space. Blood dripped from Takeli's mouth as he hung his chin. Noob Saibot grabbed his legs and swung him straight into the roof. A loud thud was heard as Takeli's spine cracked on the roof. "Now, to finish you off for good." Noob Saibot shot forward a shadow ghoul. It extended up at Takeli, reaching for his heart.  
  
SNAP! What? A soft sound was heard over the arena. The ghoul was stiff in the air, unable to move. Noob Saibot was shaking his body. His legs stayed as they were on the ground. Takeli's blood stopped dripping and formed into gold dust. The entire arena was silent. The flares surrounding it have calmed down, and were only a speck of light. As it stopped crackling, Noob Saibot's eyes froze in fear. Takeli's body started to glow, and a beam of light from his heart shot down. The dark energy Noob Saibot used vanished, and all he could do was stare.  
  
"This soul is so pure!" Noob Saibot collapsed and saw the light beam coming from Takeli increase in force. Noob Saibot shielded his eyes from the light. "It's too intense!" The light began to cover the walls and pots. Noob Saibot's body was covered with it. The smog around him quickly vanished, and all he could see was Takeli. The beam began to turn bright red. It began to crack the ground as Noob Saibot stared at it.  
  
"It's happening..." CRACK! The sound of a mirror breaking. Breaking the sound barrier, the walls cracked open, revealing an open space. Takeli gently sank back down to the Earth. Noob Saibot watched silently as he fell down. "I must kill him!" He ran towards Takeli, forming a spear in his hand. "Ahh!" Noob Saibot screamed as an electric barrier surrounded Takeli, shocking him. Then, he disappeared...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Wake up." Takeli opened his eyes and saw Lady Zephyr stirring some tea. "Where am I? I feel like I've just gotten ran down by a train." Lady Zephyr gave him the tea. "I just wanted to congratulate you on your training here with me," she said in an echoing voice. "Why do I hear echoes?" "We're still in the dream world. You have defeated Noob Saibot in an intense mind fight, and have shown some improvement on your powers. With a little more time, you will be able to control your powers to the max. I'm very proud of you."  
  
A sudden echo came through and Takeli closed his eyes. "Welcome back." He opened his eyes and found himself in the room where they were before. Lady Zephyr opened her eyes, and smiled. "Do you feel any different?" She asked. "Actually, I do! I feel more confident, and I can actually feel the powers flowing through me. Do I have more?" "You have to decide that for yourself my dear. If you want to reach your maximum limits, then train hard."  
  
"Don't worry I will," Takeli said. He got off of his chair and stretched a little. He felt a bit of pain on the sides of his necks. "Why does my neck still hurt?" Lady Zephyr chuckled. "Did you think that everything that happened today wasn't real?" Lady Zephyr stepped out of her chair and opened the luminous door again. "Here, you better get going." "Don't I need to pay you or anything?" Lady Zephyr shook her head. "You got a good soul. I'll let you go free this time." She winked at him as he went through the door.  
  
Takeli breathed a sigh of relief. Then, a hawk above dropped down another note.  
  
§§ Dear Lao Takeli,  
  
How have you been doing? Is your journey going well so far? I've heard that you've received some training in the forms of antiquity. This was probably a good idea, even for you. Are we still planning on meeting at the Glass Lake soon? I am really eagered to finally meet you. I promise that you will be trained with the up most respect. Also, if you encounter Rayden or Fujin, please follow their ideas wisely.  
  
Lao Kung  
  
Takeli stuffed the note into his pocket and began to walk out into the desert once more. 


	4. Protector Of Earth

Chapter 4 Protector of Earth  
  
'I wished I still had that motorcycle right about now,' Takeli thought, gurgling down the last remaining drops of cool water from his bottle. He wished he had refilled it when he was in that strange city. He had a good chance of getting it filled, and he didn't. He should have thought ahead. The boiling sun was high above him. Shining clearly down on the ground. Takeli took out a piece of dried plum Little Firefly had given him. He wasn't sure if he should eat them though. Sui Loung did yell at him once for stealing out of her jars of candy.  
  
Takeli imagined a long way ahead of him. This wasn't like any old city. He was lost in a desert smacked down in the middle of the People's Republic of China. He could see dead rats and cactuses drained of their water all over the place. The heavy sand dunes in front of him made him feel like he was going to die. He stretched his arms out as a bit of a breeze began to happen. It stopped suddenly, and the drifts of sand slid down into the potholes. He was starting to sweat a little bit off from his neck. 'Think back Takeli. Don't think about the hotness.'  
  
'Great.' Those memories have come back. The same enchanting memories that Takeli had when he was a child have returned. 'Why do I feel like this?' He imagined his dad picking him up and carrying him around the playground. Like he was in space, traveling to the stars. Then his mom would carry him down and tickle his tummy a little bit. Takeli remembered his older brother Jermaine stealing pieces of candy from their mom's purse and giving it to him. Takeli would just look innocently at them, and they would forgive him.  
  
He felt his heart begin to warm up. The feeling of love came charged through his blood like a bullet. 'I miss them so much.' He took out an old photograph, showing his entire family smiling. He could see himself right in the middle of it. A small child back then. Being held up by other people because they thought you couldn't handle it. Takeli walked over to a nearby slab of stone. He placed some candles around it and began to pray. 'If you are out there, anywhere, I hope you are well.' He bowed down, and the candles started to flicker in and out.  
  
"Very nice, and to think I never really expected you to be praying at a place such as this." Takeli turned his head and saw the old man again. He was still wearing the same clothes, but was harnessing a peculiar symbol on his robe. Takeli got back up and bowed down to him. This shocked the old man. "What are you doing?" He asked. "I'm giving my respects. What does it look like I'm doing?" The old man began to chuckle again. "Takeli, I was very fond of you before. I knew that you would find out who I was someday. Maybe I'll just give you answers."  
  
"You're Fujin, God of Wind and the neo protector of the Realm of Earth," Takeli cried, snapping his fingers. The old man turned his head back, and closed his eyes. A sudden breeze appeared out of nowhere and flipped Takeli over the rock. The old man laughed again. "A powerful force of wind. You just flip through the air because of it." Takeli rubbed his shoulders, getting rid of the pain before it got worse. He snickered a little as he leered at the old man. "So, you're not Fujin, are you?" He asked. The old man raised his eyebrows. "Let's find out."  
  
Takeli jumped through the air and landed on the ground right next to the old man. He threw his robe to the side, revealing his chest. He jumped back and landed softly near a cactus. "What are you going to do now?" He asked. Takeli grinned and ran over to him. He ducked down and sweep kicked the old man's legs. He quickly dodged it and shot forward a gust of wind. Takeli shielded his eyes as the blinding sand nailed his legs. Clearing the way, the old man grabbed Takeli's arm and threw him behind him.  
  
Takeli landed on the ground with a hard thud that shook the sand around him. He looked up and saw the old man's eyes glow white. "Yes, you are Fujin," Takeli said getting up. He rubbed the dirt of his nose and picked up the remaining candles off of the ground. "I know now." "Very good, you are starting to learn." Fujin grabbed his robe from the ground and placed it back around him. "I'm glad you know who I am now. How does it make you feel Takeli?" "Good, I guess. Did you want to tell me something? Your visit and all must have a purpose."  
  
Fujin raised his arm and a long wooden pole appeared in front of him. He grabbed it and began to spin it around in front of Takeli. "Take it, it's yours to keep." He stopped spinning it and handed it over to Takeli. "Thank you. What is it for?" "That pole can protect you from the dark energy that is coming here on Earth. If you keep it with you at all times, your powers will become clearer to you. For now, just use it to get water." "How do I do that?" Fujin grabbed the pole and made it start to turn orange. "If you stick it into the ground, water will burst from it."  
  
Takeli nodded. "Is there anything else you are here to tell me?" He asked. "See, now you are looking for answers to your question. I'm not the only one who can answer them though, so be aware of that. I am here, to tell you about a new threat that we have come in contact here on Earth." "What is it about?" "It revolves around the greatest warrior's of our realm. The army of Out World has once again attacked our realm." "Out World? Where is that?" Takeli asked. "It may not make any sense to you now, but it will soon."  
  
"Let me try to explain. Out realm is one of many different realms. There is one particular one called Edenia. It used to be a wonderful place full of living things of great beauty. Until an emperor named Shao Kahn attacked Edenia. He killed the king and took the queen as his own. Shao Kahn is a ruthless beast. He won't stop until he gets what he wants, even if it means killing off the entire population of Edenia. His power comes from the depths of the Netherealm, the place where dead souls are banished."  
  
"Thinking quickly, Shao Kahn decided to take over the Realm of Earth, but we didn't want to give up without a fight. The other gods and me decided to hold a tournament for all of the great fighters in the world. If Shao Kahn's ruthless beings win ten tournaments, Earth will be over. But during the tenth tournament, something amazing happen. A man named Liu Kang stopped Shao Kahn and his minions, banishing him to Out World. We thought it was all over with, and that the peace had returned, but we were wrong."  
  
"What is happening now?" Takeli asked. Fujin grunted. "I have received another threat that Shao Kahn has returned from the dead, and is now attempting to take over our realm." "How does this involve me?" "Takeli, you are one of the chosen warrior's that are destined to join the Earth's side in the tournament." Takeli eyes widened. "What do you mean? I'm a chosen warrior?" Fujin nodded. "It may be hard to believe but this is all true. You are one of the chosen warriors that will help defend out realm in the next tournament."  
  
"How do you know this for sure?" Takeli proclaimed. Fujin touched Takeli's forehead, and began to grunt. He touched his heart, and Takeli could feel a sudden burning feeling go through. "Your soul is pure, and so is your heart. Nobody else has this kind of power in them. Not even Liu Kang has this much spirit inside." "Fujin, how can I do this? I don't believe it! I'm just some guy that wants to get trained in martial arts, that's all. Fighting alongside with other people that are better than me? I don't even know how to fight!"  
  
Fujin took in an ounce of breath. "Relax Takeli. Don't you know why you had so much power in you, and that you always wanted to become a famous martial artist? It was in your blood. You were destined to be one of the chosen warriors if we ever got into trouble." Takeli rubbed his hair back. "This is so hard to believe," he said. He sat back down on the stone rock and continued to wonder. "I know this is. I can help you prepare for the upcoming tournament. I cannot join the tournament because of the sacred rules. You can, and with the proper training, you will be one of the greatest fighters in the world."  
  
'This is all too much,' Takeli wondered. There were other defenders of the Realm of Earth. How can he be the one that was chosen? "Fujin, I may believe that I can learn to fight like the chosen warriors, but how am I supposed to believe that I'm one of them?" Fujin hoisted his arm up into the sky, and a sudden vigor of wind blew through them. Takeli covered their eyes as a gale of high winds surrounded them.  
  
"Why would I tell this to you if I didn't think you were the one?" Fujin's voice echoed through the high winds, bouncing off the steep cliffs and into Takeli's ears. "I am the god of wind and the protector of the Realm of Earth. I follow Rayden's footsteps into protecting this world. Without people like you, how would I find the courage to defend this pure world?" Takeli gazed up at Fujin as he soared up through the wind. He shot forward an orb of wind, which collided with Takeli's stomach. "Can you stop it?" Fujin cried.  
  
Takeli crossed his arms as the massive force pushed him near the crimson lake. His shoes scratched down on the hard pebbles and his pants began to tear. "It's too hard. I can't do this," Takeli hollered. Fujin blasted another force of wind, making Takeli drag nearer to the lake. All of a sudden, Takeli felt a power source coming out from his arms. It was a bright light, another one. 'Huh?' The light began to encircle around his body, causing his arm to feel warmer. Fujin gasped as he saw a blazing ray shooting upward to the sky.  
  
Takeli didn't realize it. The winds started propelling back to Fujin. Takeli screamed as he felt a striking pain going through his heart. 'Why does it burn?' he thought. A laminating light blazed forth around Takeli, shooting frontward the wind Fujin had formed. The winds abruptly stopped, and Fujin opened his eyes again. He saw Takeli lying on the ground once again, with blood around his mouth. 'That was too much, I should have gone a little easier.'  
  
Hours later, Takeli awakened when he heard a cracking sound near his right ear. He stood up and found himself inside a tent. He pushed aside the blanket and opened up the tent, revealing a night sky. The stars were all above him, shimmering brightly like the sun. Looking over his shoulder he saw fire crackling. It was still warm, as tiny flickers of fire expanded outward. He rubbed his head in awe. What had happened? He looked at his watch. Eleven o' clock PM. Weird, he had slept for hours.  
  
'Fujin!' Takeli looked around his surroundings. Nowhere did he find Fujin. 'Where did he go?' Takeli stumbled out of the small tent and stretched out his arms. All of his gear was still with him. He took out a piece of candy Little Firefly gave him the other day. Plopping it into his mouth, Takeli motioned his sight at the stars. Numerous numbers of stars were lighting up the sky. Not a gentle breeze was felt, and Takeli assumed Fujin was nowhere near he. 'That star looks familiar.' The night was still, and not another sound was made.  
  
'Reminds me of Jermaine.' Takeli reflected back on the lost memories of when he and Jermaine were playing at night...  
  
§ "Jermaine, Takeli, it's time for supper!" Jermaine held the ball in his hands and groaned. "Right now? Can't we play a little longer?" Takeli began to hop over to Jermaine on one foot. "Big brother, look at me! Whoa!" Takeli tripped over a small side branch and fell face first on the ground. Takeli started panting and crying all at the same time. "What's wrong little bro?" Jermaine walked over and lifted Takeli off the ground. "Silly, you shouldn't be crying," he said. Takeli sniffled a little before he started to climb up on Jermaine's shoulders.  
  
"Take me to the Moon!" Takeli cried happily. Jermaine smirked and started dashing around the yard. "Wee! We're going so fast!" Takeli picked out some hair from Jermaine's head, and stuffed them inside his shirt. "Hey, Takeli what are doing?" He giggled. Jermaine bended over and Takeli jumped off his head. "Are we at the Moon now?" He asked. Jermaine snickered and took Takeli's small hand. "Come on, it's time for dinner," he said. §  
  
Takeli crouched down and held his legs. 'Jermaine, you were much more than that.' He noticed a small book sticking out of his pack. Takeli reached for it and grabbed it silently. It was his old photo album of his family. A little bit of dust was covering the edges, but it was still in good condition. Opening the cover, a charm fell from the inside and landed on Takeli's leg. It sparkled in the moonlight, like a clear crystal lake with no waves.  
  
It was a small jade. The figure showed a pure dragon with its eyes reflecting off the stars. Takeli never noticed the jade inside his photo album. 'I wonder how this got tin there.' He remembered a jade that looked just like this. 'This looks like the one Jermaine used to wear.' The silver laces around it casted a shadow around Takeli's neck. It was Jermaine's. He could tell from the silver lace. Jermaine loved anything silver. Takeli placed the jade over his head and around his neck. A sudden chill was emitted from the jade when it touched his bare skin.  
  
All of a sudden, the fire next to him burned out completely. The plants around him moved in the direction of the wind, and Takeli could feel an eccentric presence around him. Someone or something was near him. "Who's there? Fujin?" Takeli looked to the sides, and saw his tent flapping over. Was he imagining this? He felt a sudden urge to get up and stand guard, but he couldn't move. He felt a cold rub going through his back. "Hello."  
  
"What?" Takeli jumped up in a startle, and saw Fujin stroking his robe. "What is going on?" Takeli asked. "I came back to see you. Is that a problem?" Fujin asked. Takeli shook his head, feeling shocked at Fujin's sudden arrival. "How did I get here?" Takeli asked. "Well, you were knocked unconscious so I brought you here to rest. Isn't this a comfortable spot?" Fujin levitated a small pebble and charged it into the night sky.  
  
"Were you the one that knocked me out?" "Me? Of course I was the one. There wasn't anyone else that time." Takeli glanced over his palms. "Why do I feel a sudden surge of energy go through me when I'm fighting?" Takeli asked. "You haven't learned to fully control your powers yet. When you have learned how, that won't happen again. Unfortunately I cannot tell you how to control them, but I know someone that can." "Who might that person be?" Fujin grinned and began to leap into the steep cliffs.  
  
"Sorry for my departure but I have to meet up with the other gods. It's very important. Stay here and rest for the remainder of the night. You can start back on your journey in them morning." Fujin jumped into the sky, leaving Takeli behind. 'Why does he always do that?' Takeli pondered. Should he get some sleep? Fujin might pop up again and scare Takeli once more. Takeli plopped another piece of hard candy into his mouth. 'I can't just stand and wait here all night, I better get some sleep.' Takeli went back into the tent, zipping up the entrance.  
  
Inside, Takeli dropped his head down on the pillow and opened up his photo album. He began to flip through the pages, trying to find any pictures of him and his family all in one place. 'Come on, there has to be at least one in here.' He stopped abruptly when he saw a photo of him and his brother. Jermaine was holding a toy sailboat and Takeli was holding a red envelope. He guessed that it was New Years the time the photo was taken.  
  
He flipped on and came across the photograph he was looking for. He was only one year old when it was taken. He saw his mom holding him up in a cradle, while his dad rubbed his cheeks. 'I looked so cute when I was young.' He could see Jermaine and the others gathering around him, all smiling. His grandfather was behind the scene. He was sitting down on a wooden chair, smiling at the camera. Takeli couldn't see his grandmother though, sadly...  
  
"Huh?" Takeli heard a shrieking sound rushing by his tent. The tent began to get dark, and his candle blew out. The pure darkness outside was surrounding him. The sound of a thousand deadly things could have been heard. Takeli opened up his tent and rolled outside. The winds began to pick up, and his tent blew over on its sides. Takeli watched as a figure began to speed by. A masked being ran past the tent, destroying it in the process.  
  
Takeli thought quick and decided to run from the scene. The figure halted in a screech, and set back on foot to get through Takeli. Takeli looked behind him and saw the figure running up at him. It jumped up and collapsed in front of Takeli. "What the?" The figure formed an energy orb in his palms. He stretched forward and hulled the orb at Takeli through his mouth. Takeli rapidly dived down to the ground as the energy orb smashed right through the cliffs, causing an avalanche.  
  
"Who are you? What are you?" Takeli cried. He held his fist by his sides and the man took his pose. "I am Kabal. You are dead!" Kabal flipped through the air and landed next to Takeli. Kabal grabbed his neck and began to jab his stomach. Takeli used his foot and kicked Kabal in the shins. Kabal released him and began to groan. Takeli rushed at Kabal. He double kicked Kabal's head, sending him flying over to the cliff. The stone boulders began to rush down the cliff.  
  
"Great, this isn't going to be pretty," Takeli mumbled. A large slab of the cliff cracked down and slammed right in front of Kabal. "Get this away from me?" He cried. Kabal thrusted his fist into the hard boulder, smashing it to pieces. He blew off the debris from his armor and quickly began to smash down the cliff. "What are you trying to do?" Takeli asked. Kabal ignored him and continued to smash down the mountain.  
  
Finally it cracked open and fell on top of Kabal. 'Is he crazy?' A bladed saw scraped the boulders into small rocks. Kabal appeared and lifted a heavy boulder over his head. "You have to die!" Kabal threw the boulder at Takeli. The hard rock loomed over his head, as a murky shadow covered him. 'Run, run!' Listening to his guts, Takeli dodged out of the shadow just as it hit the ground. He rolled over, barely missing the giant death pill.  
  
Takeli could feel a hard pulse going through his heart. His muscles began to buff up rapidly, and the water inside him became visible as it began to evaporate. The sand around Kabal suddenly stopped moving and began to sink. Kabal raised his arm up and another bladed saw came out of the ground. It was moving in on Takeli's spot. As it headed for him, Takeli flipped through the air. Causing the saw to break into another mountain.  
  
'This guy is crazy!' Kabal began to pant frantically. "I have to kill!" Kabal took out two axes, fresh blood dripping from it. He scampered over to Takeli, holding up the razor sharp edge of his weapon. Aiming for Takeli's head, Kabal striked down and missed. He swung it back, hitting Takeli's chest. The edge ripped through his shirt, spewing blood into the ground. Kabal then punched Takeli's face, bruising his soft cheeks.  
  
Takeli began to try and hit Kabal's head, but he was held back by the blade. He slashed again, bruising Takeli's leg. "Now, you will die!" Kabal started to knee bash Takeli's stomach. Blood began to churn out of his mouth. His lips turned purple as blood filled his mouth. He coughed some of it out, contaminating Kabal's mask. "Let... go!" Takeli couldn't move anymore. He was stuck to Kabal's axes, and all he could do was stand there and watch as his soul began to appear.  
  
"No!" Takeli gasped as he saw someone jump over the cliffs. He crashed down softly on the firm ground, holding his breath as the dirt blew threw him. "Let the boy go Kabal!" "Who are you? This is none of your business!" Kabal tossed Takeli over his head and into a spiky bush. Kabal turned back and glared at the man. "Don't bother me!" In a pathetic rage, Kabal sprinted over to him and swung his blade. The man ducked down easily and punched Kabal in between his legs.  
  
Kabal choked down and began to groan loudly. "That hurt!" The man didn't seem to care as he continued to kick his face. Kabal's mask flew out, revealing a hideous face. Burns and scratches were everywhere and blood was flowing through the veins. "My mask!" The man elbow bashed Kabal's head, sending his face smashing down on the rocks. "Takeli, come on!" He appointed Takeli to follow him as he leapt over Kabal. Takeli nodded and did what he was told.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Takeli followed the man curiously as they crossed over into the mid mornings. Takeli pressed his palm on his shoulder, making him stop. "Thank you for your help, but who are you?" The man looked down at Takeli's stains and bruises. "Over there." He pointed at a crystal clear lake with flowers surrounding it. "Clean up your bruises, I have some healing herbs." Takeli shook his head. "That's all right, I have some healing herbs myself. Save it for yourself." The man grinned silently to himself.  
  
As Takeli poured water over his bruises, he noticed that there wasn't any waves or disturbances in the water. "That's strange, why doesn't the water move?" Takeli asked. "I've heard that this lake was made of glass, but water when touched. You can clearly see your reflection can't you?" "Yea." A blurry mist began to surround the lake itself, cooling off the blood. 'Kung Lao, I was supposed to meet him.' Takeli looked around the pool, but saw nobody. "Excuse me," Takeli started, but he stopped when he saw a familiar crest imprinted on his clothes.  
  
"I recognize that crest. Are you from the Shaloian Temple? Wait..." Takeli looked closer at the symbol... A large hawk call was heard. Takeli looked up and saw it land on the man's shoulders. "Wait a minute. Are you? It can't be, can it?" A sudden flare of light surrounded them, and then...  
  
HUSH! "A cool breeze, wait, no it isn't!" 


	5. A Well Deserved Vacation

Chapter 5 A Well Deserved Vacation  
  
"Come on, everybody get ready!" The sound of the commander's voice clashed through Sonya's ears. Three thugs were following behind her. "I need back up!" She threw open a capsule containing some type of genetic material. The material formed melted the titanium floor just as Sonya jumped away from it. A high swinging chain was next to her. As the material melted away the ground, she jumped up onto the chains as it kept swinging. The ground melted away completely, and the genetic substance fell into the thugs' hands.  
  
Sonya watched as their hands melted away slowly. They began to scream as the burning sensation covered their entire mouths, filling Sonya's nose with the horrible stench. A small microchip flew from one of their hands. Sonya jumped off the chains and caught it. She pulled open her gear, and swung back onto the metal railings. Holding onto the hard chains, she reached into her pack and pulled out her radio. "This is Lt. Blade, is anybody there? Over!" Only a static sound was heard as a reply.  
  
"This is Lt. Blade, is anyone there?" As Sonya pulled her radio closer, a bullet smashed through it. She dropped the radio, watching it crash and explodes on the ground below. Sonya looked up and saw a masked man holding a gun. He fired another bullet, barely missing Sonya's legs. She dropped down onto the ground and rolled over to the nearby boxes. Another shot was fired down at the boxes, causing her anger to rise. Sonya pulled out her shot gun and fired with great aim. The man fell from above and landed on the hard earth.  
  
Sonya motioned her shotgun at the man; ready to strike if he tried to fire another shot. She saw his gun lying four feet away from him. Sonya grabbed his neck and pulled him up. "Listen, where are the master controls?" She asked. The man grunted and spitted at Sonya's face. "I'm not telling you anything," he responded. "So be it." Sonya twisted his neck, hearing the spine crack as his head fell over to his shoulder. She dropped him on the ground and kicked his face.  
  
"Over here!" Four hooligans ran through the railings above and took out their handguns. They aimed their guns at Sonya just as she dashed over to the arsenal controls. "Fire!" The bullets crashed down over the machines, causing them to blow up. The electric currents filled the room with an eerie feel. Sonya pulled out her grenade just as the gangsters made a run for it. "Take this!" Sonya chucked the mechanism at them. Taking cover, the entire railings above broke apart. Bones and blood splattered over her as she closed her eyes.  
  
The computers began to burn up in a flare. Sparks flew from the pieces of equipment Sonya was tampering with. "Shit!" Parts of the machine erupted from inside, causing the others to move apart. Sonya leapt onto the tops of one, and began to dash through. Sonya took out her compact bungee and fired it. Jumping off of the machine just before it exploded, she shot up at the ceiling. 'This is gonna hurt.' Crossing her arms, she smashed through the roof and into the sky.  
  
"Back up, I need back up!" A foggy plateau loomed over her legs. The building began to emit smoke from the inside. Windows around it broke open, and black smoke came out. "Back up!" The smoke swirled around Sonya as she kept falling. All of a sudden, a static voice came out of her second radio. "Coming right over Sonya! Look to your left!" Turning her head, she saw a high-speed jet passing by. A hatch opened up at the bottom, sucking Sonya in.  
  
"Finally you got here; those freaks down there are really getting messed up." "No problem Sonya!" Sonya turned on her video camera, recording the exploding factory as they passed by. "Jax, I think I need some new batteries. I can't pick up the readings!" "Try the ones on the bottom left containers." Sonya reached into it and took out a cylinder shaped rod. She stuck it into the camera, and it started recording again.  
  
"We better get back to headquarters," she said. "What did you find out Sonya?" "Well, I did locate some files from the Black Dragon. Seems to me like Jarek and his bitches been here recently. The computers were tapped. I could tell from the viruses in it." Jax turned his head back and stared. "Jarek? I thought he died!" "I think he did, but all the clues led up to the Black Dragon's attempts. There's no one else that can pull that kind of thing off."  
  
"How do you explain the factory blowing up then?" "Don't worry, I have evidence from what happened." A small tape slipped out of her pocket. Sonya grabbed it and inserted it into the main controls. "We better tell commander about this," Jax assured, setting the coordinates. A large bang was heard when they finally flew off the island. "Guess that place is blown up now." Jax shook his head. "This isn't going to look good." "Don't worry, I'm sure he won't take this as a threat."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"What!" The commander slammed his papers down on the table, making a loud noise when it landed. "Sonya! What the hell did you do?" Sonya closed the door behind her, and took in a deep breath. "I did my job commander. I investigated the facility and then these freaks come out. They were trying to kill me, so I had to destroy the factory so they wouldn't escape." "And what proof of that you might have?" Sonya dug into her pocket and pulled out the tape. "Watch this."  
  
The commander inserted the tape into his computer. "This better be good." A blank screen began to show static. A blurry picture began to take shape; it showed Sonya holding out a gun at a man. "What was happening then?" "They just came out of nowhere and began to attack. I think they were after me because I knew a lot about Jarek and his gang." "The Black Dragon?" Commander raised his eyebrow in disbelief. "Did you have any time to search through the files on the disk?"  
  
"Yes, I did. I found a file on Cano and Jarek. They were there before, as it seems." As the tape continued on, the picture broke out. The last thing Commander could see was Sonya escaping through the roof. "A very dramatic escape I presume?" Sonya managed to crack a smile at the comment. The commander took off his glasses and glanced over at Sonya. "Lt. Blade, I'm thinking that this mission was far too difficult for you." "No, it wasn't." "Sonya, I think we've given too many missions for you and your partner. I'm thinking, a break from your work?"  
  
Sonya groaned at the idea. "What do you mean? Me take a break from my job?" "Sonya, this may be a good thing for you. You are one of our top agents, but I think that every once in a while we all need to take a vacation." "Commander, I have a job to do here. I can't just slack off while everyone else is working. That's not me." "I think you're overreacting. When you return, you may continue to protect out citizens. For now, I think a vacation is best."  
  
Sonya crossed her arms and sighed. "Where am I supposed to go then?" The commander smiled and took out two plane tickets from his drawer. "We at the U.S. Special Forces decided to send you and one friend to the Caribbean's! There, you will relax, soak up some rays, and even be able to meet new people. You will be flying first class going there and back." Sonya rolled her eyes in awe. "How long did you plan this commander?" "A long time. We were going to give this to you sooner, but you were just too stubborn to go. Now's the best time."  
  
"I'll have to think about this commander. I doubt this will get me to be more relaxed during work, but I might consider." Sonya left the office, slamming the door behind her back. She walked up to Jax's back and nudged him. Jax turned his head, "What?" "Listen, the commander gave me two plane tickets to go to the Caribbean, so I can have a decent vacation. Should I go?" Jax leered at her about the idea. "Hell yea. Come on Sonya, it's the Caribbean!"  
  
"Jax, I don't think I should go. We have a duty to uphold here," she said. "You should feel lucky you're going to go there! You can go windsurfing, swimming, and even meet some cute guys. I know I'd go, to meet some hot babes on the beach." "Stop exaggerating Jax. You're not going." "I know I'm not, but think of all the opportunities you have now." Sonya turned her back at Jax, and walked away. "Come on Sonya!"  
  
She walked back into the office, just as commander was about to stash away the tickets. "You're back! Have you decided yet Lt. Blade?" "Well, I really want to go. However, my duties are here. So I don't think I can go. I mean, where will I stay?" The commander's eyes gleamed at the remark. 'That's not a good sight,' she thought. "Well," the commander started, "you will be staying at a very luxurious hotel. You will have access to a country club as well as the new nightclub going on! Did I mention that it's all expenses paid?"  
  
Jax's heart began to pound heavily. "Damn commander, all expenses paid?" "That's right Jackson, all expenses paid. You don't have to pay a single penny, except for snacks of course." Jax nudged Sonya's shoulder. "Sonya, we are in the house! A free trip to the Caribbean. Who can say no to that?" "I can!" Sonya screamed. Commander pounded his fist on the table. "Sonya, come on. You really need a vacation. I'm doing you a favor here. You and Jax can both go." "Fine, I'll go. If it'll make you stop talking to me." Commander's smile became a firm grin. "You're flight leaves in two hours..."  
  
Later that day, Sonya and Jax boarded first class on their flight. As they boarded, they couldn't help but notice a man taking aboard a large piece of luggage. Sonya guessed it was a very bug vacation for him too. "First class seats right up here," the flight attendant appointed. As they passed by, Jax couldn't help but stare at her legs. "Hmm, I wish we had her for a secretary back at the office." "Whatever Jax."  
  
Sonya pulled open her compartment and threw in her bag. A small pistol dropped out. Jax noticed it and grabbed for it. "Damn Sonya, how the hell did you get this aboard?" "Shut-up Jax. I found a way. I only brought it up here just in case something bad happens." Jax gave her the gun, and she zipped it back into her pack. "Passengers, we are ready for take off." Sonya and Jax sat down on their comfortable leather chairs. She looked around and saw only five more passengers aboard. "Gee, not very many people are aboard this part." "Who cares?"  
  
As the plane left the docking area, Sonya reached under her seat and pulled out her radio laptop. "Why did you bring that?" Jax asked. "In case I need to reach commander. I'm not just going to have a vacation you know." Sonya inserted her floppy disk, revealing profiles on the Black Dragon. Jax reached over and nudged her shoulder. "You're still mad about your partner's death?" Sonya shook her head and continued to look up the files.  
  
"Jarek, that bitch." Sonya punched in a couple of keys and a low quality photo of Jarek appeared. "Remember at the last tournament Jax? Jarek was there, and he tried to kill me." "Don't worry about it Sonya. He's gone now." Jax opened up a bag of peanuts and filled his mouth with the salty substance. "Are you sure? I have a sick feeling he's still out there." Sonya closed her laptop as dinner was being served.  
  
"So, what do you think we should do when we get there?" Jax asked, stuffing a piece of boiled chicken into his mouth. "Will that be chicken or beef, miss?" The attendant asked. "Chicken please." She grabbed her food and opened up the seat in front of her. "Well Jax, I haven't really decided yet," she said, watching the attendant pour some tea into her cup. "Maybe we should go swimming first, and then soak up some rays." "That's a plan."  
  
About five hours later, their plane arrived at the coast of Jamaica. The hot sunny beach awaited them as Sonya and Jax got off the plane, carrying their packs. As they got off of the plane, a man greeted them near the entrance. "Hello there," he said, shaking Sonya's hand. "Welcome to Jamaica. You two are from the US Special Forces Association, correct?" Jax nodded his head, and he continued. "I will be your guide for the next ten minutes or so. I will take you to your hotel, as well as showing you the country club."  
  
"We get access to a country club? That's cool," Jax cried. The guide nodded, and began to walk into the gates. "If you will follow me, I will show you to your ride." Sonya and Jax both nodded, and followed him as they walked past the security systems at the airport. "Shouldn't we check our luggage first?" She asked. "Don't worry, they'll be in your room by the time we're through." Sonya turned her head at Jax, and all he could do was shrug. "Come on, let's go," the man urged.  
  
As they exited through the entrance of the terminal, Sonya couldn't help but feel someone spying on them. She turned her head back and forth, but saw nothing wrong. "Ms. Blade is there something wrong?" The man asked. Sonya shook her head, and they continued. Disturbing thoughts began to enter her head. She could feel it. Someone was spying on her. A sudden shock of feeling entered her neck. "Hmm..." Sonya looked back and grabbed the hand touching her.  
  
Looking back, she saw a familiar face touching her shoulder. "Well, what do we have here? Just another spineless jellyfish I presume?" Sonya released his hand, and began to grin. "What are you doing here Kurtis?" Sonya asked. "Stryker? You're here?" Jax cried. Indeed it was. He was still wearing the same uniform he wore when he was fighting with them. The badge represented him a true hero in his city.  
  
"I thought you were dead!" Jax cried. "Well," Stryker started," I guess I'm not dead. I didn't know you guys were here in Jamaica." Sonya crossed her arms in awe. 'He should have died,' she thought. "How've you been Sonya?" He asked. "That's none of your business, Kurtis." She said. "Hey, call me Stryker." "Fine, Kurtis." Sonya appointed the guide to keep walking. Sonya followed, and urged Jax to do the same. "Hey, let me come with you," Stryker proclaimed.  
  
"No," Sonya cried. Stryker took some steps back and laughed. "You're not still mad at me about that time when I..." Sonya ran forward and slapped his cheek. "I told you to never mention that night again." Stryker rubbed his cheek, getting rid of the pain. "Calm down Sonya. Did you grow an attitude over the years?" "I guess I did." Sonya and the guide left the building, causing the high-intensified energy to rush in. "Don't worry Stryker, just follow me," Jax said, grabbing his pack.  
  
Afterwards, Sonya saw a large limosine parked in front of the entrance. "Is that limo supposed to be here?" She asked. "Well it's your ride," the guide said. He opened up the door, revealing black, velvet seats. 'Wow.' Sonya stepped inside and felt the cool air breathe through her skin. Inside, were two more side seats, each one containing mints and beverages stashed next to it. A small TV was at the side, along with a box of hot, baked pizza.  
  
"Is this all just for us?" She asked. The guide nodded, and tolded her to enter the seat. She dived into the side one with her own personal window. Jax followed in after that. "This is tight man. A free limo, just for us!" "We aren't keeping it Jax, just borrowing it!" After Jax comfortably sat down on his seat, Stryker came in. "Wait! What the hell is he doing here?" "Come on Sonya, why are you trippin'?" Jax asked. The guide closed the door. Sonya turned her head away from Stryker, staring at the pizza boxes.  
  
"Come on Sonya, what's the big deal?" Stryker asked. Sonya ignored his remark and took a slice of pizza from the boxes. "Sonya, what is wrong? You're not still mad at me about..." Sonya dropped the pizza into her plate and covered his mouth. "I told you never to talk about that ever again!" She said. The limo began to move, and the TV blinked on, showing a movie director on the screen. "I would just like to give a big thanks to everyone that helped contribute to the making of the movie so far. I feel so warm inside that Johnny Cage has agreed to make a sequel if this movie becomes a hit."  
  
Jax stared at Sonya while she was flipping through the channels. "Hey Sonya, what are you doing? Stop flipping through the channels. You've done that for the past two minutes!" Jax grabbed the remote away from her. "Hey, I was using that!" "Come on Sonya, what's the big deal?" "Shut up Stryker," she exclaimed. Stryker leered at her a little. "Sir, where are we going now?" She asked. "Well, we are stopping by the hotel first. After that, then I can take you anywhere you want."  
  
Sonya nodded in understandment. She turned back to her pizza, which was getting pretty cold by now. "All right, what should we do to start our vacation?" She asked. "Well, we could..." Stryker started. Sonya silenced him before he could finish. "I was talking to Jax." Stryker chuckled, and grabbed her hand. "Don't touch me!" She cried, taking back in her hand. 'Don't worry Stryker ol' boy. You'll win her heart someday,' Stryker shook the thought from his head and grabbed a slice of pizza for his own.  
  
Jax turned off the small TV and yawned. "So Sonya, did you hear about Johnny's new movie?" She nodded in response. "Yea, it's about him saving these two girls from a villain. I think that idea's been taken though." "Should we go check it out?" Jax asked. "You know where it is being filmed right now though?" "It's being filmed right here. But I don't think we can see him, we have to get invited to go." The guide stopped the car suddenly on the red light.  
  
"Forgive me for interfering with your conversation, but do you want to go to Mr. Cage's shoot later? I will gladly arrange the trip for you if you'd like." "That's an idea. Maybe we should go check it out, we do have time," she replied. Sonya nodded, and the guide continued to drive on. Sonya lay on her back and sighed. Smiling, she gazed up at the window above her. 'So, we finally meet again Johnny Cage. I wonder if he still likes me...'  
  
When they reached the hotel, Sonya got out first and stretched her arms out. "So we finally made it. This place isn't too shabby." Stryker and Jax both got out at the same time, and fell down hard. "So boys, shall we check in?" Sonya asked hysterically. The guide helped Sonya grab her bags from the trunk. "Don't worry, I got it," she said, taking it off his hands. "Well, thank you. Those were pretty heavy," he said.  
  
Jax and Stryker grabbed their packs afterwards, heading inside the grand hotel. Inside, they could see a clear glass chandelier dangling high above them. The ground was made of a rare marble, and the desks around them were covered with flowers smelling with great fragrance. The guide bid farewell behind them and went into a small coffee shop. Sonya, Jax, and Stryker went up to the desks and ringed the bell.  
  
A scrawny old woman popped out, checking her glasses. "Can I help you?" She asked. "We would like to register into this hotel. I think it has already been paid," Sonya said, clutching her credit card in her hand. "Well, we will also need proof and the ID number, as well as the holder's name." Sonya reached into her pocket and pulled out her cello phone. "Could you wait just a moment?" She asked. The lady nodded silently as Sonya pressed the small buttons.  
  
"Commander is that you?" "Oh Sonya, glad to hear from you. How's your trip going so far?" "Fine, but we need to get some information to check in at the hotel." "All right, let me speak to her." Sonya handed the lady her phone. She pressed a few buttons and said goodbye, giving it back to Sonya. "Now, would you all like separate rooms or would you like all of you to be in one big room? It's about ten PM, and you know what that means." She grinned over at Stryker.  
  
Stryker managed to giggle. 'Damn, what is this lady kidding? A night with Sonya in bed would be perfect!' "It's separate," said Sonya. The lady grinned even more now. "Childs play I see. Would you like each door be connected to another room?" "Yes!" Stryker spoke out. Before Sonya could protest, the room was already set, and a beep sound came through. "Enjoy your stay. Here are your keys. One of your bellboys will help you out near the elevator."  
  
Sonya and Jax thanked her and walked away. As Stryker was leaving, the lady grabbed his shoulder. "Say honey, if you wanna know, my room is down the hall from yours!" Stryker cracked a small smile, and ran off. "Wait, I forgot to ask if you were a virgin! I know I am!" Stryker rolled his eyes. 'An old lady a virgin, give me a break.' He managed to force himself into the elevator before it closed. He bumped into Sonya's chest, causing her radio to fall out.  
  
"Move it Kurtis, I need to get my radio," she hollered. Stryker grabbed her radio before she could, and handed it over. Sonya grabbed it immediantly and stuffed it back into her pocket. "Don't do that again, I can get it myself," she cried. 'Man, she looks so hot when she's mad.' As the door, opened, they took off with their pack, flicking a quarter to the bellboy as the door closed. "Well, that went well," Jax commented, nudging Stryker.  
  
Sonya found their rooms eventually near the vending machines. "Ok, I'll be in here if you need me. Try not to disturb me at night Stryker," she said, closing the door behind her. Jax and Stryker both took the rooms next to them. "You better hit the shower before going to sleep," Jax reminded, stepping into his room. He flipped on the lights, revealing a TV, couch, air conditioner, as well as a king-size bed. "Damn, never been inside one of these fancy rooms before."  
  
Stryker went into his room, and found the same things. A small wooden door was at the side. He figured it lead to Sonya's room. He dropped down his stuff and dropped down on the soft bed. "Maybe I'll go take a peek at what Sonya's doing," he said. Stryker unlocked the room and found Sonya's clothes lying on the ground. Steam was coming into the room. He figured she was taking a shower. Reluctantly, Stryker sneaked into the open gap, and...  
  
"Hey Sonya!" He pushed open the door and saw Sonya rinsing herself off in the shower. Sonya screamed as she saw him staring at her breasts. "Damn it Stryker, get out!" She threw a soap bar at him, hitting his chest and foaming it with bubbles. "Sorry, sorry!" "Get out, get out!" Sonya screamed. She grabbed her towel and pushed opened the door. "Leave Kurtis!" She screamed, pushing him out of the side door. "You look hot by the way!" Sonya groaned and slammed the door, locking it. Stryker tried to pry open the door, but it wouldn't budge.  
  
"Hmm, I wonder is she has implants..." Stryker snickered to himself as he heard Sonya's loud groan. 


	6. In The Party

Chapter 6 In The Party  
  
' "Come here Sonya!" That voice, it's so frightening. That voice, I could recognize it. It was hideous. "Sonya, where have you been all my life?" It cried again. I could feel the vibrations of its loud accent bubbling in my head. The pain was that it sounded very familiar. "Sonya, come here any I'll make you my honey!" I ran away, but he was right behind me. My body began to get tense. I slowed down, trying to catch my breath. The agony of it all. I cried for help, but he tackled me down. "Give me a kiss! It's me, Stryker!" '  
  
"Ahh!" Sonya stood up from her bed, wiping away the sweat from her forehead. "A dream, it was just a dream." The drapes around the window were pulled open, revealing the morning sky. Sonya breathed a sigh of relief. 'For a second there I through that guy was really here! I guess it was a nightmare!' Sonya bragged for her comb. Her hair was still very wet from last night. Staring at the clock, she began to comb through her silky hair. "Seven A.M." she announced.  
  
Getting up, Sonya felt a small note in between her toes. She picked it up and read it to herself. 'Meet me later at the buffet for breakfast. We'll talk about our plans there. Sincerely yours, Kurtis. By the way, Jax is coming. So you don't want to miss out.' She crumpled up the note and threw it into the nearby trash can. Grabbing her tank top and shorts, she made way to the bathroom. She searched through the drawers to find a toothbrush, and came across a hairy one.  
  
"Eww!" She cried in disgust. She dropped the toothbrush onto the ground and kicked it out of the way. 'As if I didn't already know!' She dug into her purse and pulled out her own toothbrush. Turning on the water, she saw hair dangling from it. "What the hell?" She reached for a towel and wiped off the rest of the hair. 'I think Kurtis needs a nice hello,' she thought. Sonya grabbed her cello phone and made her way to the door.  
  
Going down the luxurious stairs, she spotted Jax and Stryker laughing hysterically. 'What's so funny?' she wondered. She slowly crept down the stairs, and quickly hid behind a small pot. "Don't worry Stryker, you'll win her heart someday." Stryker grabbed a piece of toast and began to nibble on it. Sonya stood up and walked towards them. "Good morning Sonya," Stryker greeted. She ignored him and greeted Jax instead.  
  
Sonya grabbed a plate and piled on some hickory-smoked bacon, some scrambled eggs, two slices of French toast, three sausages, and one large orange juice. She headed back to her table and sat down abruptly. "Damn, you're gonna eat all that?" Jax exclaimed. Sonya nodded and reached out for a small fork. "So how was your night?" Stryker asked. Sonya leered at him and made a faint giggle. "Oh, it was just great," she said dully, digging into her smoked sausages.  
  
As she was biting into her juicy bacon, Jax interrupted. "So what should we do today? Let's go to the beach and find some girls!" He asked. Sonya swallowed her bacon quickly and gasped for breath. "Jax! We just got here, and already you're trying to get with girls!" Stryker broke into a tearful laughter. "Shut-up!" Sonya cried. 'I love it when she's mad.' Sonya turned back to her food and picked a slice of French toast, which was drowned, in syrup.  
  
"Aren't you guys gonna get something to eat?" She asked. Jax shook his head. "We already ate. You got here late." Sonya raised her eyebrow. "Well," she began," if somebody wasn't in my bathroom, using my toothbrush, and violating my space, then I might have gotten ready a little quicker don't you think?" She turned her head and glared at Stryker. "What? I forgot to pack a toothbrush, I needed something to care for my perfect teeth!" She rolled her eyes again, and took her last bite on her eggs.  
  
After she was finished, each of them put a dollar tip on the table. "Well, now where should we go?" Jax asked. "Why not go check out that country club?" Sonya replied. "Commander said that it was totally free, for us at least. I'm not sure about you Stryker." Sonya smiled a little and walked out into the busy streets. 'I knew it. She wants me.' Stryker and Jax headed for the door. When they went though, they saw the same limo driver as the other day.  
  
"Good morning," the guide greeted. Sonya politely smiled, and asked if they could go to the country club. "Sure, it's your vacation." He opened up the back seat, and she stepped in. Comfortably settling down on her seat, she immediately filled her glass with soda. Jax and Stryker both got in after, and filled their glasses with cool iced tea. "All right Stryker, let's get one thing straight. You may be able to get into the country club because we bring one guest, but you better stay out of my way!" Stryker giggled and began to hum a little tune.  
  
'Man, she looks so hot when she's all mad.' The driver began to pick up speed. Sonya dropped her glass when the driver hit a sharp corner. "Nice going Sonya," Jax said. Stryker and Sonya reached for a napkin at the same time, but their heads collided. "Damn it, what was that for?" She asked. "Oh sorry, I didn't mean it." Sonya leered at him and proceeded on cleaning up the mess. 'Man, that man is really getting on my nerves,' she thought.  
  
Arriving at the country club, the driver slowly opened the door. "What happened?" Sonya questioned getting her bags from the trunk. The driver shrugged. "A crazy teenager ran a red light." Jax and Stryker both got off and got their bags from the trunk. "Ok everybody," the driver started," call me when you're going to leave." Sonya looked down at her watch. One o' clock. "Can you meet us here around six o' clock?" She asked. The driver nodded, and drove off.  
  
They walked into the lobby, and saw three girls walking past them. Jax waved, and they waved back. "Ooo, it about to go down in here!" Sonya walked up to the counter and rang the small bell. A handsome young man arrived at the counter, greeting them along the way. "Welcome to Seaside Country Club. How may I be of service?" "We're new here. We just want to know if our membership is still available."  
  
"What is the name?" He asked. "Sonya Blade." He punched in a few keys and finally found a file. "Well Ms. Blade, you've just registered here?" Sonya nodded. "May I see some identification please?" She pulled out her ID card and handed it over. The man took a brief glimpse, and handed it back. "Thank you Ms. Blade, would you like a tour of our fabulous club?" He asked. Sonya thought for a moment, then nodded. "Come with me."  
  
The guy showed them through the tennis courts, the basketball courts, the work out gym, the swimming pool, and then the locker rooms which he said were for 'mischief.' "All right, you can use these lockers for now. Do you have your own locks?" He asked. The group shook their heads, and the man sighed. "Well, we have a special on locks today. Only 2.99 per lock." They handed him their money, and they received their locks.  
  
"All right Sonya, what should we do first?" Stryker asked. "What do you mean we?" She asked. "I'm going swimming alone." Sonya walked into the locker rooms, leaving behind Jax and Stryker. When she came out, she was dressed in a one-piece bathing suit. Stryker's eyes stared down at Sonya's body. "What are you looking at Kurtis?" She asked. Stryker just shook his head, and gazed away.  
  
"All right, I'm heading for the gym, what are you going to do Stryker?" Jax asked. "Nothing much, I'm just going to do whatever I can." Jax grabbed his heavy bag and walked into the gym. Stryker turned his head to see Sonya diving into the pool from the high board. The silky water splashed through her body as she dived in, spreading out her hair in the process. Sonya turned her head to the side, and saw Stryker staring at her again.  
  
"What are you doing?" She asked. "Nothing, just paddling against the water," he said, beginning to sway in the water. Sonya rolled her eyes and continued doing laps around the pool. 'I knew it. She wants me.' Just then, a young man jumped into the pool, splashing Stryker wet. He swam up to Sonya and winked. "Hi, you're new here?" He asked. Sonya nodded and smiled. "It's pretty cool here isn't it?" He asked.  
  
Sonya's heart thumped as he felt her arms going around her waist. "Would you like a lesson? It's free." "Sure." Stryker's eyes moved across the pool as he saw them swimming together. 'They're swimming together! No way!' Sonya saw Stryker freaking out. 'Better take advantage of this,' she thought. Sonya swam closer to the guy, rubbing his chest in the process. "So, can I have your number?" He cried loudly.  
  
Stryker had a look of jealousy on his face. Without thinking, Stryker plunged into the pool and began to choke the guy. "Stryker, what the hell are you doing?" Sonya cried. Sonya reached forward and tried to break the grip, but it was too hard. "Let go Kurtis!" She cried. Suddenly, a lifeguard appeared out of nowhere and dived into the pool. He began to blow his whistle rapidly, trying to make Stryker stop.  
  
He prides open his grip finally, causing Stryker to lose balance and fall. The lifeguard grabbed hold of his arm just before he completely fell. Pulling Stryker up, he checked to see if the guy was all right. "Sir, are you all right?" He asked. Stryker spitted out some water onto his face and groaned. "He was trying to choke me to death!" The guy cried. "Do you have membership here?" The lifeguard asked to Stryker. He shook his head.  
  
"Whose membership card is this man using?" He asked. Sonya bit her lip and raised her hand. "Well miss, I'm afraid we have to ban you from the pool area. Someone can get hurt." "What? But that's not fair!" "We're sorry, but the membership guidelines were that all members would be responsible for their guests. There are other activities you may wish to do though." Sonya beamed a glare at Stryker before she got off the pool and into the locker rooms. 'God I so want to kill him now,' she thought.  
  
When Sonya came out, she silently crept into the gym, in hopes to get away from Stryker. Sonya walked through the doors, and saw other men and women flexing their muscles. She saw Jax lifting weights, showing off to a girl. She walked over and tapped on his shoulder, just as he was about to flex his muscles. "I'll see you later," he told the girl. She smiled sweetly and walked away. "Hey Sonya, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I see you're having fun. Stryker keeps following me. It's really pissing me off." Jax dropped his weights and laughed. "So where is he now? Following you again?" "Maybe." Sonya sat down on the cushions and sighed. Plopping a mint into her mouth, she gazed outward at the window, and into the forsaken pool. "I was really hoping to get a good swim today too," she said. "Don't worry, maybe you can do it next time."  
  
"Yea, maybe..." Just then, Stryker barged through the doors behind them. He ran up to Sonya and laughed. "Hey guys, so what have you've been doing here?" He asked. Sonya dropped her head back down on the soft cushions. 'He had to come in here.' "What have you been doing?" Jax asked. "I was just following Sonya around the whole time. There isn't very much to do here you know."  
  
"Here, catch!" Jax threw Stryker one of the weights. Stryker reached out for it but he accidentally dropped it onto Sonya's foot. The impact frightened her. "Ouch!" Sonya grabbed her foot and began to rub it. "You bitch!" "I didn't mean it," Stryker said. Sonya got up and slapped his face. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at them. "Sonya..." Jax dropped the last weights, and they rolled onto another man's bag.  
  
"What's going on?" Someone cried. The manager popped out and screamed. "What happened?" He asked. People started to blurt out explanations. "That woman slapped that man!" "No, the guy was acting all perverted again!" The manager shook his head and asked Jax and them to leave. "Me?" Jax exclaimed. "It seems like you two are responsible for this man. I'm sorry, but those are the rules." Jax groaned and walked out with the others.  
  
"This is your entire fault," Sonya said to Stryker. "Look, let's just go to the arcade," Jax suggested. "Let's go." They walked past the swimming pool and into a small arcade room. There were games everywhere around them, including a virtual dance platform. Jax went over to the change machine and got some quarters. "Let's go check out that dancing game," Jax said, pointing over to the platform. "Sure, there's nobody there anyway."  
  
Sonya and Jax went over and inserted their change. They both got up on the platform and pressed start. Stryker was next to them, watching them as they prepared. As they did, Stryker couldn't help but notice Sonya. 'I wonder how hot she'll get after all of that playing.' Sonya and Jax saw the screen blink on and bright lights flashing towards them. BPM 127, the dance steps began to flash on the screen. A replica of Jax and Sonya was on it. "Wow, guess they updated it."  
  
Stryker watched as Sonya pulled off the dance moves fairly easily. "Level One is easy," he said. "Like you can do any better than I can." The music finally stopped. PASS "Cool, we made it through level one," Jax congratulated. Another level with black fog and bright lights appeared. BPM 132 flashed on the screen. They continued on through the rest of the game. Sonya began to get sweaty after BPM 148.  
  
All Stryker could do was watch, like he was hypnotized. Sonya's heart beated faster as the dance music continued. The beats began to get faster, that Sonya almost used up all her quarters just on the game. By BPM 156, Sonya had no more quarters. "This is getting interesting," she said. Jax watched as Sonya danced faster and faster. At BPM 185, Sonya and Jax were dancing like there's no tomorrow. "One more level..."  
  
Suddenly, Stryker bumped into Sonya and she collapsed onto Jax. They both fell down, and the game froze. "NO!" Jax cried. Sonya rubbed her head. "Stryker..." she said crackly. She got up and started chasing him into the bathroom. He went into the girl one, and caused a major ruckus. Young teens began to storm out of the bathroom in all sorts of direction. Jax saw Sonya dragging Stryker out by the shoulder.  
  
Sonya accidentally with all her rage, three Stryker at the video games. Strangely, the arcades began to collapse and coins started to burst out. Jax jumped out of the way just as the rim of a basketball hoop dropped down. "We better get the hell you of here!" He exclaimed, forcing Sonya and Stryker to come. They ran out through the entry doors and rushed out into the parking lot. "You think they'll let us in again?" Stryker asked. "I have a feeling that it's gonna be a while before we can get back in,' Sonya thought.  
  
She reached into her cello phone and called up their guide. A couple of minutes later, he pulled over and they hopped in. They drove away from the club just as a mob of people began to chase them. "That was close," Sonya said. "It sure was," Stryker replied. "Shut up, it was your fault that we got into all of this mess!" She cried. The window opened up, and the cool breeze of the ocean swept through them. "I'd say it's time for dinner," she said.  
  
After they ate their light dinner, they headed back to their hotel rooms. Sonya stopped by at a vending machine and grabbed a bag of potato chips before heading into her room. Sonya reached into her back pocket but before she could grab her key, Stryker placed his hand into it. "I'll get it for you," he said. Stryker reached in very quickly, squeezing her butt. "What are you doing?" She cried. "Alright that's it..."  
  
She pulled out her handgun from her pocket. "What are you doing with that? There are cameras all around here!" Sonya slammed Stryker face first on the wall. She pointed the gun to his head. "I'm tired of you and your perverted ways. I can tell you're trying to flirt with me, but I don't like it. One more move from you, and I'll blow your head off!" Sonya pulled the gun away from his head. She unlocked her door and slammed it behind her as she walked in.  
  
Jax turned his head at Stryker. "Damn Kurtis, do you have problems or something?" He asked. Stryker couldn't help but laugh. "No, she wants me." Jax rolled his eyes and went into his room. Stryker unlocked his and went in. He dropped down on his bed hard, staring out at the starless sky. 'I'll pay a little visit to her later.' Stryker stripped down to his shorts and dug into his closet. He took out his black vest and headed into the shower...  
  
A couple of minutes later, he came out all hot and steamy. A towel was over his head and he dripped with hot water. He took out a small whistle from his drawer and rubbed on it. Cleaning it to make it look shinier. Stryker grabbed a couple of fake flowers from his vase and went out his door. Nobody was in the hallway. Only a silent whistle could be heard. Stryker slowly went up to Sonya's room and knocked on the door.  
  
From inside, Sonya pulled down her hair and winced. "Who's there?" She asked. There was no reply. Sonya shrugged and proceeded to walk into the bathroom. Then, there was another knock on her door. "Who is it?" She asked again. Sonya walked up to the door and peeked through the small hole. "Peek a Boo!" Sonya fell backward and gasped. "What are you doing here?" She cried.  
  
"Look Sonya, I know we didn't have a good start. Let's start over," he said. "Hell no! Not what you did to me the last time we met!" Stryker giggled and knocked on the door again. "Aren't you going to invite me in? Look, I have roses," he said. He slipped the flowers through the crack beneath the door. It got ruined along its way. Sonya locked the second lock on her door and groaned. "Go away Stryker. Haven't you cause enough trouble for one day?" "No!"  
  
"You've got to be kidding," she said. Sonya walked away from the door as he continued to knock on it. "I need my rest! Go away!" She exclaimed. "Come on, I really like you Sonya." 'Like I didn't already know that.' Stryker pressed his eye through the peephole and laughed. "I'm not really a bad guy. I got muscles, and brains." Sonya rolled her eyes and entered her bathroom. Stryker heard the lock close. "Don't worry, I'll be out here waiting!"  
  
Suddenly, he started to sing a little merry tune. Sonya heard the loud music go through her ears. "Shut-up!" She cried from her shower. "It was always beautiful, as you can see..." Sonya walked out of the bathroom, shivering from the wind. She dried herself off and threw a robe around her. She unlocked the door and saw Stryker looming forward. "So you finally realized our love," he said. "Love hurts," she replied, punching him in the face.  
  
Sonya locked the door again. Stryker fell backwards rubbing his face. He sniffed the scent she left for a moment, and giggled. "You have a nice scent. You know you want me. You can't stay in there forever." Stryker started singing again. Sonya groaned loudly, turning on her TV to drown out the voice. "Nothing on," she cried. "Come on girl, just shake your thing!" Sonya placed her palm over her ears, trying to stop the voices.  
  
Moments later, Sonya threw her pillow to the door. "I can't sleep!" "Hush little baby, don't say a..." 'He can't stay there forever,' she thought. Sonya flapped the blanket over her head. 'Get some sleep, get some sleep.' The singing continued on all night, and all Sonya could do was groan. "Shut-up!" She cried. Stryker didn't stop. It was like he was hypnotized or something. 'Damn it!'  
  
Later in the morning, she awoke abruptly when she heard a knock on her door. "Go away! Go away!" She cried. A loud grunt was heard. "Well Ms. Blade, thank you for that rude comment," someone said. Sonya pulled her robe over her head and headed for the door. A young man was holding a letter in front of him. "I'm very sorry sir. I thought it was someone else." "No need to apologize. This happened before. Here Ms, Blade, a telegram." He handed her the telegram and left. 'Usually they ask for tips,' she thought.  
  
Sonya closed the door and opened up the telegram...  
  
Dear Sonya Blade,  
  
How are you doing? I'm fine; It's great filming my new movie here. I'm inviting you and your friends to come along and see the take for yourself. It'll be fun, just like old times. We haven't seen each other for a while, so this is a great opportunity. Bring this invite down at the hotel to the limo driver. You may use your own if you wish. He'll take you down to the filming area. Hope to see you then. Let's do lunch.  
  
Johnny Cage  
  
PS: If Kurtis is with you, watch out. I hear he's been getting high lately. Chow!  
  
She stuffed the letter into he pocket. "Just like the old times. Getting high, huh. We'll see about that." 


End file.
